School boards allowing remote attendance must accept five specific reasons

A school board that offers remote attendance must allow members to use it for five listed reasons. This applies to regular and special school board meetings when a board offers remote attendance. Boards do not have to offer it. The reasons are a member’s illness, care for a sick family member who needs it, a public health emergency, pregnancy or immediate postpartum care duties of the member or their spouse or partner, and the member’s military deployment. A board may limit how often members join remotely, but it cannot add other reasons. These rules took effect 30 days after enactment.

Members joining remotely for a listed reason count toward the number needed to hold a meeting and may vote. This applies when a school board allows a member to attend remotely for a listed reason. The system must let participating board members and witnesses hear each member’s and witness’s comments at the same time. These rules took effect 30 days after enactment.