|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to open meetings of governmental bodies. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 551, Government Code, is |
|
amended by adding Section 551.0025 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 551.0025. REQUIREMENTS FOR OPEN MEETING WITH |
|
RESTRICTED PUBLIC ACCESS. (a) This section applies only to an open |
|
meeting of a governmental body where public access to any open |
|
portion of the meeting is limited or restricted. |
|
(b) The requirements prescribed by this section are in |
|
addition to other requirements of law applicable to an open |
|
meeting. This section prevails to the extent of a conflict with |
|
another provision of law. |
|
(c) A governmental body that holds a meeting to which this |
|
section applies shall: |
|
(1) broadcast audio and video of all open portions of |
|
the meeting live over the Internet and provide a link to the |
|
broadcast in the notice of the meeting; or |
|
(2) allow members of the public to listen to live audio |
|
of all open portions of the meeting by telephone, provide a |
|
toll-free telephone number for that purpose, and include the |
|
toll-free telephone number in the notice of the meeting. |
|
(d) If a governmental body makes an audio and video |
|
recording of the open portions of a meeting under Subsection |
|
(c)(3), the governmental body shall: |
|
(e) If a governmental body holds a meeting to which this |
|
section applies and at which members of the public are allowed to |
|
address the body, including a meeting to which Section 551.007 |
|
applies, the governmental body: |
|
(1) shall allow members of the public to address the |
|
body by telephone; |
|
(2) may allow members of the public to address the body |
|
over the Internet; and |
|
(3) shall provide in the notice of the meeting a |
|
toll-free telephone number and, if applicable, an Internet link for |
|
the purposes of Subdivisions (1) and (2). |
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |