Does every gathering of various members of a public body constitute a “meeting” under FOIA?
No. This section and ยง2.2-3707 specifically provide that the mere gathering of a public body’s members (for instance, at a picnic or other social function) is not a “meeting” subject to FOIA if the purpose of the gathering is not to discuss or transact public business and the gathering is not organized for that purpose. In other instances, work sessions, and informal assemblages of as many as three members of a public body (or two members of a three-person entity) are considered “meetings.
