Arizona Laws 38-431.03. Executive sessions; definitions
A. On a public majority vote of the members constituting a quorum, a public body may hold an executive session but only for the following purposes:
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 38-431.03
- Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
- Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
- Executive session: means a gathering of a quorum of members of a public body from which the public is excluded for one or more of the reasons prescribed in Section 38-431. See Arizona Laws 38-431
- including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Legal action: means a collective decision, commitment or promise made by a public body pursuant to the constitution, the public body's charter, bylaws or specified scope of appointment and the laws of this state. See Arizona Laws 38-431
- Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
- Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Public body: means the legislature, all boards and commissions of this state or political subdivisions, all multimember governing bodies of departments, agencies, institutions and instrumentalities of this state or political subdivisions, including without limitation all corporations and other instrumentalities whose boards of directors are appointed or elected by this state or a political subdivision. See Arizona Laws 38-431
- public officer: means the incumbent of any office, member of any board or commission, or his deputy or assistant exercising the powers and duties of the officer, other than clerks or mere employees of the officer. See Arizona Laws 38-101
- Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
1. Discussion or consideration of employment, assignment, appointment, promotion, demotion, dismissal, salaries, disciplining or resignation of a public officer, appointee or employee of any public body, except that, with the exception of salary discussions, an officer, appointee or employee may demand that the discussion or consideration occur at a public meeting. The public body shall provide the officer, appointee or employee with written notice of the executive session as is appropriate but not less than twenty-four hours for the officer, appointee or employee to determine whether the discussion or consideration should occur at a public meeting.
2. Discussion or consideration of records exempt by law from public inspection, including the receipt and discussion of information or testimony that is specifically required to be maintained as confidential by state or federal law.
3. Discussion or consultation for legal advice with the attorney or attorneys of the public body.
4. Discussion or consultation with the attorneys of the public body in order to consider its position and instruct its attorneys regarding the public body’s position regarding contracts that are the subject of negotiations, in pending or contemplated litigation or in settlement discussions conducted in order to avoid or resolve litigation.
5. Discussions or consultations with designated representatives of the public body in order to consider its position and instruct its representatives regarding negotiations with employee organizations regarding the salaries, salary schedules or compensation paid in the form of fringe benefits of employees of the public body.
6. Discussion, consultation or consideration for international and interstate negotiations or for negotiations by a city or town, or its designated representatives, with members of a tribal council, or its designated representatives, of an Indian reservation located within or adjacent to the city or town.
7. Discussions or consultations with designated representatives of the public body in order to consider its position and instruct its representatives regarding negotiations for the purchase, sale or lease of real property.
8. Discussion or consideration of matters relating to school safety operations or school safety plans or programs.
9. Discussions or consultations with designated representatives of the public body in order to discuss security plans, procedures, assessments, measures or systems relating to, or having an impact on, the security or safety of buildings, facilities, operations, critical infrastructure information and information technology maintained by the public body. Records, documentation, notes, or other materials made by, or provided to, the representatives pursuant to this paragraph are confidential and exempt from public disclosure under this chapter and Title 39, Chapter 1.
B. Minutes of and discussions made at executive sessions shall be kept confidential except from:
1. Members of the public body that met in executive session.
2. Officers, appointees or employees who were the subject of discussion or consideration pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section.
3. The auditor general on a request made in connection with an audit authorized as provided by law.
4. A county attorney or the attorney general when investigating alleged violations of this article.
C. The public body shall instruct persons who are present at the executive session regarding the confidentiality requirements of this article.
D. Legal action involving a final vote or decision shall not be taken at an executive session, except that the public body may instruct its attorneys or representatives as provided in subsection A, paragraphs 4, 5 and 7 of this section. A public vote shall be taken before any legal action binds the public body.
E. Except as provided in Section 38-431.02, subsections I and J, a public body shall not discuss any matter in an executive session that is not described in the notice of the executive session.
F. Disclosure of executive session information pursuant to this section or Section 38-431.06 does not constitute a waiver of any privilege, including the attorney-client privilege. Any person receiving executive session information pursuant to this section or Section 38-431.06 shall not disclose that information except to the attorney general or county attorney, by agreement with the public body or to a court in camera for purposes of enforcing this article. Any court that reviews executive session information shall take appropriate action to protect privileged information.
G. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Critical infrastructure" has the same meaning prescribed in section 41-1801.
2. "Information technology" has the same meaning prescribed in section 18-101.