Bill Text: TX SB115 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the Internet broadcast of certain open meetings.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-05-17 - Committee report sent to Calendars [SB115 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB115-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Relating to the Internet broadcast of certain open meetings.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-05-17 - Committee report sent to Calendars [SB115 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB115-Engrossed.html
By: Huffines, et al. | S.B. No. 115 |
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relating to the Internet broadcast 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 Section 551.024 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, 2017, including any amount of | ||
general revenue transferred to the governmental body under that Act | ||
for that fiscal year, is greater than $40 million and for which the | ||
bill pattern for the General Appropriations Act for the same fiscal | ||
year designates 250 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 that term | ||
is 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. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 551.024, Government Code, as added by | ||
this Act, applies only to an open meeting held on or after September | ||
1, 2019. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |