Pennsylvania meeting minutes requirements for local government boards
Under Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act (65 Pa.C.S. § 706), minutes of every open meeting must record the date, time and place; the members present; the substance of all official actions, with each member’s vote on every roll call; and the names of citizens who appeared officially and the subject of their testimony.
Last updated October 11, 2026. General information, not legal advice; confirm with your solicitor.
| Law | Sunshine Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 701–716 |
|---|---|
| Required in minutes (§ 706) | Date, time and place; members present; substance of all official actions; a record by individual member of roll-call votes; names of citizens who appeared officially and the subject of their testimony |
| Deadline to make minutes available | None set in the Sunshine Act |
| Executive session (§ 708) | Only for listed reasons (personnel, labor negotiations, real estate, litigation, confidential matters); the reason must be announced at the open meeting; no official action may be taken in executive session |
| Who keeps township minutes | The township secretary, under the Second Class Township Code |
| Recording the meeting | Anyone attending may record an open meeting (§ 711) |
| Retention of recordings | Recordings used to prepare the minutes: until the official minutes are approved (Municipal Records Manual, item AL-24(2)); minutes are kept permanently |
What a Pennsylvania minute book entry needs
Section 706 is short, and every element matters. In practice that means:
- Roll-call votes by member. Record each supervisor’s or councilmember’s vote whenever the roll is called, not just “motion carried.” Many boards record individual votes on every motion to be safe.
- Citizens who appeared. Record the name of each resident who addressed the board officially and the subject, for example “Linda Reyes, 412 Mill Road – stormwater culvert.”
- Substance of official actions. State what was approved, with amounts, resolution and ordinance numbers.
Executive sessions
Pennsylvania does not require minutes of the executive session itself, but the public minutes should show that the board announced the reason (as § 708 requires), when it entered and left the session, and that no official action was taken in private. Any vote happens after the board returns to public session.
Recordings and retention
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Municipal Records Manual allows a recording used to prepare the official minutes to be disposed of once those minutes are approved. Municipalities that adopted the Manual dispose of records by resolution; PSATS publishes a model resolution for meeting recordings.
Templates: township supervisors, borough council, zoning hearing board.
Questions
Does Pennsylvania require minutes of executive sessions?
The Sunshine Act does not require minutes of the executive session itself. The public minutes should reflect the announced reason and that no official action was taken in executive session.
Do Pennsylvania minutes have to name residents who spoke?
Yes. Section 706 requires the names of all citizens who appeared officially and the subject of their testimony.
How long must a township keep the meeting recording?
If the recording was made to prepare the official minutes, the Municipal Records Manual allows disposal once the minutes are approved. The minutes themselves are kept permanently.
Sources
Related: recording roll-call votes, free minutes templates.
Minutes in Pennsylvania Sunshine Act format, drafted from your recording.
Upload a recording of your last meeting and get draft minutes that follow these requirements. Free, no credit card.