BAHIA

Constituição do Estado da Bahia (1989) + Regimento Interno da ALBA

Constituição do Estado da Bahia (5 out. 1989) Art. 65 e ss. (Assembleia Legislativa — sessões públicas, Ordem do Dia, sessão secreta); Regimento Interno da ALBA (vigente — última reforma) — sessão ordinária, extraordinária, solene, secreta; Pauta ...

Read the statute →

Sunshine Score: 49/100 (moderate)
49/100
12/14 fields populated

Sunshine Score

49/100
Weak
Methodology v0.1
Advance Notice 2 days, online posting required
Public Comment Not required
Closed Sessions 3 permitted categories
Minutes Required, online posting required
Recording —, broadcast required
Remote Participation Allowed
Enforcement Voidable, legislature included

Agenda & Notice Requirements

Regular Meetings
2 days
Special Meetings
1 day
Emergency Meetings
24 hours

Online posting: Required

Pauta da Ordem do Dia (session agenda) must be published in advance per Regimento Interno da Assembleia Legislativa. Most state assemblies publish the Ordem do Dia on their official website and distribute to members. Constituição Estadual guarantees public access to sessions. LAI (Lei 12.527/2011) requires proactive disclosure of meeting schedules and agendas.

Agenda changes at meeting: Allowed — Absolute majority (maioria absoluta) vote required to add urgent items to the Ordem do Dia. Urgency regime (regime de urgência) requires two-thirds vote in most state Regimentos Internos.

Public Participation

Public Comment
Not required
Written Comment
Not allowed

Brazilian state assemblies hold public sessions (sessões públicas) open to observers, but formal public comment at plenary sessions is not the standard model. Public participation occurs through Audiências Públicas (separate public hearings convened by committees or the full assembly), which are required for budgetary matters (CF/1988 Art. 165 + state constitution equivalents) and major legislation. LAI ensures public access to records. Most assemblies have a gallery (tribuna pública) for civil society participation in Audiências Públicas.

Virtual Meetings

Member Remote Participation
Allowed
Counts Toward Quorum
Yes

Post-pandemic, Brazilian state assemblies adopted hybrid session models through Regimento Interno amendments, permitting deputies (deputados estaduais) to participate and vote remotely via official assembly platforms. Specific provisions vary by state; most allow remote quorum counting. Details available in each assembly's most recent Regimento Interno (typically amended 2020-2022).

Closed Sessions

Closed (executive) sessions: Allowed under specific circumstances

Permitted Categories

Meeting Minutes

Minutes Required
Yes
Publication Deadline
7 days

Online posting: Required

Content requirements: Atas must record: attendance (deputados presentes), agenda items voted on (Ordem do Dia), voting results (deliberações plenárias), and any documents incorporated into the record (proposituras, emendas). Verbatim records (taquigrafia/notas taquigráficas) are maintained for debates. Brazilian state assemblies maintain both summary Atas and full stenographic records under their Regimento Interno.

Recording & Broadcast

Broadcast Required
Yes
Retention Period
5 years

Enforcement

Violation Effect
Voidable
Standing to Sue
Any person with a legitimate interest may seek judicial review through the Ministério Público or directly via Mandado de Segurança (writ of mandamus) against assembly decisions violating the right to publicity (publicidade) under CF/1988 Art. 5 XXXIII and XXXIV.
Enforcement Body
Ministério Público do Estado (MPE) — oversight of legislative compliance; Tribunal de Justiça do Estado (TJ) — judicial review of assembly acts; Controladoria-Geral da União/Estado (CGU/CGE) — LAI compliance; Ouvidoria da Assembleia Legislativa — internal ombudsman for transparency complaints filed under LAI.

Scope

This law applies to:

  • Assembleia Legislativa
  • Camara Legislativa

Legislature: Covered by this law

Accessibility & Language Access

ADA accessibility: Federal Law 13.146/2015 (Lei Brasileira de Inclusão — LBI / Estatuto da Pessoa com Deficiência) Art. 44 requires that public session venues be accessible. Most state assemblies have made physical and digital accessibility improvements under LBI. Sign language (LIBRAS) interpretation is increasingly provided for public sessions.

Language access: Portuguese is the sole official language for all Brazilian state assembly proceedings. No statutory requirements for multilingual access to legislative sessions. Indigenous language services are not required by statute for state assembly plenary sessions (though the federal Congress uses Portuguese exclusively).

Notes

Bahia's Assembleia Legislativa (ALBA) sessions are governed by the Constituição do Estado da Bahia (1989) and the ALBA Regimento Interno. ALBA is one of the larger state assemblies with 63 deputies. The CE-BA Art. 65 and following establish the framework for public sessions, the Ordem do Dia, and conditions for sessão secreta. ALBA broadcasts sessions live via TV ALBA and internet streaming. The ALBA Diário da Assembleia publishes the Pauta and Atas. LAI applies for online disclosure. ALBA website: https://www.al.ba.gov.br (ReadTimeout during verification — canonical .gov.br domain).

← Back to Open Meetings & Public Notice Laws

The specific rules for BAHIA may differ from this general description. Consult the full statute for details.