The Act prescribes the procedures an agency must follow to claim an exemption from the open meetings rule. Agencies are allowed to close meetings to protect national security or other information that could frustrate proposed agency action. Agencies can also close meetings that involve discussion of pending or anticipated litigation in which the agency is involved.

Some agencies have been accused of changing the names of meetings — that is to say, calling them something else (such as staff discussions) — or of using telephone conference calls to avoid the intent of this Act.