The District of Columbia Taxicab Commission issues this revised policy on public attendance, audio and video recording, photography and orderly conduct at DC Taxicab Commission proceedings. 

Pursuant to section 742 (the “Open Meetings Act”) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, DC Official Code § 1-207.42, and Title IV (“Open Meetings”) of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, all meetings and hearings of the Commission are open to the public.  Also, a recording (or transcript) of the proceedings will be made available to the public free of charge.

A member of the public, including any representative of the media,

may record or photograph the proceedings of the Commission at an open meeting by means of a tape recorder or any other recording device so long as the person does not impede the orderly conduct of the meeting, by, for instance, creating excessive noise that impairs the ability of others to hear the proceeding or using excessively bright artificial light.

The presiding officer may restrict the movement of a person who is using

a recording device or camera if such restriction is necessary to maintain the orderly conduct of the open meeting.

Any recording device or camera must have its own independent power source.  The Commission is not responsible for providing a power source or staging accommodations.

A recording of an open meeting made by a member of the public, or any transcript derived from such a recording, is not to be deemed a part of the official record of any proceeding of the Commission.

Members of the public, including representatives of the media who attend open sessions of the Commission, may not engage in any conduct that disrupts the public meeting or that interferes with the right of members of the public to attend and observe the public meeting. Disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to, shouting, repeatedly interrupting other speakers, throwing objects, failing to relinquish the speaker’s podium upon request, and use of profane, lewd or offensive language.

The presiding officer may order any person who persists in disruptive conduct or who violates any other regulations concerning the conduct of the open meeting, to be removed from the public meeting in order to restore order.

The presiding officer may recess the public meeting while order is restored.  Further, the presiding officer may end the public meeting if order cannot be restored within a reasonable time, as determined by the officer.