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Remote participation in Massachusetts meetings: who may join and what the public must get

Short answer

Under a temporary law, a Massachusetts public body may allow all its members to take part remotely, and neither a quorum nor the chair has to be in a physical meeting place. If the meeting is not held in an open, physically accessible public place, the body must give the public adequate, alternative means of access, free of charge. The permanent rule in the Open Meeting Law is narrower: it needs a quorum, including the chair, at the meeting location.(St. 2021, c. 20, § 20; G.L. c. 30A, § 20(d))

This guide explains the law in plain words; it is not legal advice. For a question about your board, ask your town counsel.
By Clarivis · Checked against St. 2021, c. 20, § 20; St. 2022, c. 22, §§ 8 and 10; St. 2025, c. 2, § 1; G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18, 20(b), 20(d) on Mon, Oct 26, 2026.

Where this fits in your meeting cycle: Clarivis is software that helps a board follow these steps: it counts each meeting's notice deadline, checks each agenda item and drafts the minutes for your board to correct and approve; it does not file or post anything for you.

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Questions on this page

Can a Massachusetts board hold its meeting by phone or video?

Yes, for now. A temporary law lets a public body allow remote participation by all its members.

Statute text

“Notwithstanding subsection (d) of section 20 of chapter 30A of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, a public body may allow remote participation by all members in any meeting of the public body and a quorum of the body and the chair shall not be required to be physically present at a specified meeting location.”

St. 2021, c. 20, § 20, as extended by St. 2025, c. 2, § 1

The law says a body "may" allow it. Whether your board does is its own choice, made under its own rules.

What must the public be given when members join remotely?

If the body does not meet in an open, physically accessible public place, it must give the public another way to follow.

Statute text

“if the public body does not conduct the meeting in a public place that is open and physically accessible to the public, the public body shall ensure public access to the deliberations of the public body for interested members of the public through adequate, alternative means of public access.”

St. 2021, c. 20, § 20(b), as extended by St. 2025, c. 2, § 1

The access must not cost the public anything.

Statute text

“A public body shall offer its selected adequate, alternative means of public access to its proceedings without subscription, toll or similar charge to the public.”

St. 2021, c. 20, § 20(b), as extended by St. 2025, c. 2, § 1

The same section lists "telephone, internet, satellite enabled audio or video conferencing or any other technology that enables the public to clearly follow the proceedings" among the ways. Two further duties matter for hearings. Where a law requires the public to take part live, such as a public hearing, the alternative access has to allow it:

Statute text

“Where active, real-time participation by members of the public is a specific requirement of a general or special law, regulation or a local ordinance or by-law, pursuant to which the proceeding is conducted, any adequate, alternative means of public access shall provide for such participation and shall be sufficient to meet such participation requirement.”

St. 2021, c. 20, § 20(b), as extended by St. 2025, c. 2, § 1

And anyone entitled or required to appear before the body must be able to appear remotely:

Statute text

“A public body that elects to conduct its proceedings under this section shall ensure that any party entitled or required to appear before it shall be able to appear through remote means, as if the party were a member of the public body and participating remotely as provided in subsection (b).”

St. 2021, c. 20, § 20(d), as extended by St. 2025, c. 2, § 1

There is also a narrow alternative for a town that cannot provide live access. It does not apply where a law requires live public participation, such as a public hearing:

Statute text

“A municipal public body that for reasons of economic hardship and despite best efforts is unable to provide adequate, alternative means of public access that will enable the public to follow the proceedings of the municipal public body as those activities are occurring in real time may instead post on its municipal website a full and complete transcript, recording or other comprehensive record of the proceedings as soon as practicable upon conclusion of the proceedings.”

St. 2021, c. 20, § 20(b), as extended by St. 2025, c. 2, § 1

Does a remote member count toward the quorum?

Under the temporary law, in our reading, yes. It says a quorum "shall not be required to be physically present", which only makes sense if members who join remotely are counted. Take the question to your town counsel if a vote depends on it.

What a quorum is, is in the what counts as a meeting guide. The permanent rule that follows is different (see the last question below).

Does the notice have to say how to join?

The statutes do not say so in these words. The Attorney General's guidance does:

Statute text

“contain the date, time, and place of the meeting, including instructions for accessing the meeting if public access is by remote means”

Open Meeting Law Guide (2025), p. 11

This is guidance, not a finding or a rule. The safe course is to put the link or number in the notice itself. See the notice guide.

What changes on June 30, 2027?

In our reading, the temporary rules end on June 30, 2027, and the permanent rule in the Open Meeting Law applies from then, unless the legislature changes the date again. Check before that date. The reasoning, from the statutes:

The temporary law is set to be repealed, and the legislature has moved the date before. A 2022 act added a section to the 2021 act that repeals the temporary remote-meeting section, and a second section that sets the day the repeal takes effect.

Statute text

“Section 20 is hereby repealed.”

St. 2022, c. 22, § 8

Statute text

“Section 26A shall take effect on July 15, 2022.”

St. 2022, c. 22, § 10

The date in that second section has since been changed. The latest change is in 2025:

Statute text

“Section 30A of chapter 20 of the acts of 2021, as most recently amended by section 40 of chapter 2 of the acts of 2023, is hereby further amended by striking out the words “March 31, 2025” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- June 30, 2027.”

St. 2025, c. 2, § 1

Statute text

“The attorney general may, by regulation or letter ruling, authorize remote participation by members of a public body not present at the meeting location; provided, however, that the absent members and all persons present at the meeting location are clearly audible to each other; and provided further, that a quorum of the body, including the chair, are present at the meeting location.”

G.L. c. 30A, § 20(d); 940 CMR 29.10

Under that rule, remote participation is by authorization of the Attorney General, members must be clearly audible to each other, and a quorum including the chair must be in the room. Section 20 also has a separate rule for a local commission on disability; this guide does not cover it.

Checklist

Some items are the safe course, not the statute's words.

Before the meeting

  • The board has decided to allow remote participation for this meeting.
  • The public has a way to follow the meeting, free of charge, if no open, physically accessible public place is used.
  • The notice gives the date, time and place, and the instructions for joining.

At the meeting

  • Record each member as present, remote or absent.
  • Before a vote, count the members present against your board's quorum (see the quorum question above for remote members, and the last question for the permanent rule).

Before the temporary law is repealed

  • Ask your town counsel whether the date has moved again, and plan for the permanent rule if not.

What the law does not settle

Questions to take to your town counsel; this guide does not answer them.

  • Whether the legislature will change the repeal date again.
  • Whether, under the permanent rule, the Attorney General has authorized remote participation for your kind of board and on what terms.
  • What counts as "adequate, alternative means of public access" for a given meeting, such as a hybrid meeting in a small room.
  • Whether a remote member who loses the connection still counts toward the quorum for a vote taken after.
  • How the minutes must show a remote member; the minutes law asks for members present or absent (see the minutes guide).

How Clarivis helps

At the meeting, Clarivis records how each member attended; it does not run the call, and it does not tell you which of the two sets of rules applies to your board.

  • Remote is its own attendance state. A member is recorded present, remote or absent, and remote is never folded into present.
  • Remote members counted toward quorum. Under the rules the product follows today, a remote member counts toward quorum without a reason.
  • What it does not record. Clarivis does not record whether your town has adopted remote participation, whether the chair is in the room, or whether the public could follow the meeting.
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