Bill Text: TX HB1442 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the Internet broadcast or recording of certain open meetings.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-21 - Filed [HB1442 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB1442-Introduced.html
| 89R3218 MCK-D | ||
| By: Howard | H.B. No. 1442 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to the Internet broadcast or recording of certain open | ||
| meetings. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 551, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Sections 551.024 and 551.025 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 551.024. INTERNET BROADCAST AND ARCHIVE OF OPEN | ||
| MEETINGS. (a) This section applies only to a governmental body | ||
| that is an agency within the executive or legislative branch of | ||
| state government to which the total appropriation made in the | ||
| General Appropriations Act from general revenue for any fiscal year | ||
| beginning on or after September 1, 2025, including any amount of | ||
| general revenue transferred to the governmental body under that Act | ||
| for that fiscal year, is greater than $10 million and for which the | ||
| bill pattern for the General Appropriations Act for the same fiscal | ||
| year designates 100 or more full-time employees. | ||
| (b) A governmental body that becomes subject to this section | ||
| under Subsection (a) for a fiscal year shall comply with this | ||
| section in each following fiscal year. | ||
| (c) A governmental body subject to this section shall | ||
| broadcast over the Internet live video and audio of each open | ||
| meeting of the governmental body. The governmental body shall | ||
| provide access to the broadcast on the governmental body's Internet | ||
| website. | ||
| (d) Not later than the seventh day after the date an open | ||
| meeting is broadcast under this section, the governmental body | ||
| shall make available through the governmental body's Internet | ||
| website archived video and audio of the open meeting. The | ||
| governmental body shall maintain the archived video and audio of | ||
| the open meeting on the governmental body's Internet website until | ||
| the second anniversary of the date the archived video and audio was | ||
| first made available on the website. | ||
| (e) The governmental body shall provide on the governmental | ||
| body's Internet website the same notice of the open meeting that the | ||
| governmental body is required to post under Subchapter C. The | ||
| notice must be posted on the governmental body's Internet website | ||
| within the time required for posting notice under Subchapter C. | ||
| (f) The governmental body may use for an Internet broadcast | ||
| of an open meeting of the governmental body a room made available to | ||
| the governmental body on request in any state building, as defined | ||
| by Section 2165.301. | ||
| (g) The governmental body is exempt from the requirements of | ||
| this section to the extent a catastrophe, as defined by Section | ||
| 551.0411, or a technical breakdown prevents the governmental body | ||
| from complying with this section. Following the catastrophe or | ||
| technical breakdown, the governmental body shall make all | ||
| reasonable efforts to make the required video and audio of the open | ||
| meeting available in a timely manner. | ||
| (h) The governmental body shall consider contracting | ||
| through competitive bidding with a private individual or entity to | ||
| broadcast and archive an open meeting subject to this section to | ||
| minimize the cost of complying with this section. | ||
| Sec. 551.025. INTERNET ACCESS TO RECORDING OF OPEN MEETING. | ||
| (a) This section applies only to a governmental body that is an | ||
| agency within the executive or legislative branch of the state | ||
| government to which Section 551.024 does not apply. | ||
| (b) Not later than the seventh day after the date an open | ||
| meeting is held, a governmental body subject to this section shall | ||
| make available through the governmental body's Internet website or | ||
| a social media account associated with the governmental body: | ||
| (1) an audio recording of the open meeting; or | ||
| (2) a video and audio recording of the open meeting. | ||
| (c) The governmental body shall provide on the governmental | ||
| body's Internet website or a social media account associated with | ||
| the governmental body the same notice of the open meeting that the | ||
| governmental body is required to post under Subchapter C. The | ||
| notice must be posted on the governmental body's Internet website | ||
| or a social media account associated with the governmental body | ||
| within the time required for posting notice under Subchapter C. | ||
| (d) The governmental body is exempt from the requirements of | ||
| this section to the extent a catastrophe, as defined by Section | ||
| 551.0411, or a technical breakdown prevents the governmental body | ||
| from complying with this section. Following the catastrophe or | ||
| technical breakdown, the governmental body shall make all | ||
| reasonable efforts to make the required recording of the open | ||
| meeting available in a timely manner. | ||
| SECTION 2. Sections 551.024 and 551.025, Government Code, | ||
| as added by this Act, apply only to an open meeting held on or after | ||
| September 1, 2027. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
