By: Paxton S.B. No. 347

(In the Senate - Filed January 14, 2021; March 9, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Business & Commerce; April 8, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 1; April 8, 2021, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the inclusion of local school health advisory councils as governmental bodies for purposes of the open meetings law and the public information law.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 551.001(3), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(3) "Governmental body" means:

(A) a board, commission, department, committee, or agency within the executive or legislative branch of state government that is directed by one or more elected or appointed members;

(B) a county commissioners court in the state;

(C) a municipal governing body in the state;

(D) a deliberative body that has rulemaking or quasi-judicial power and that is classified as a department, agency, or political subdivision of a county or municipality;

(E) a school district board of trustees;

(F) a county board of school trustees;

(G) a county board of education;

(H) the governing board of a special district created by law;

(I) a local workforce development board created under Section 2308.253;

(J) a nonprofit corporation that is eligible to receive funds under the federal community services block grant program and that is authorized by this state to serve a geographic area of the state;

(K) a nonprofit corporation organized under Chapter 67, Water Code, that provides a water supply or wastewater service, or both, and is exempt from ad valorem taxation under Section 11.30, Tax Code; [and]

(L) a joint board created under Section 22.074, Transportation Code; and

(M) a local school health advisory council established under Section 28.004, Education Code.

SECTION 2. Section 552.003(1), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(1) "Governmental body":

(A) means:

(i) a board, commission, department, committee, institution, agency, or office that is within or is created by the executive or legislative branch of state government and that is directed by one or more elected or appointed members;

(ii) a county commissioners court in the state;

(iii) a municipal governing body in the state;

(iv) a deliberative body that has rulemaking or quasi-judicial power and that is classified as a department, agency, or political subdivision of a county or municipality;

(v) a school district board of trustees;

(vi) a county board of school trustees;

(vii) a county board of education;

(viii) the governing board of a special district;

(ix) the governing body of a nonprofit corporation organized under Chapter 67, Water Code, that provides a water supply or wastewater service, or both, and is exempt from ad valorem taxation under Section 11.30, Tax Code;

(x) a local workforce development board created under Section 2308.253;

(xi) a nonprofit corporation that is eligible to receive funds under the federal community services block grant program and that is authorized by this state to serve a geographic area of the state;

(xii) a confinement facility operated under a contract with any division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;

(xiii) a civil commitment housing facility owned, leased, or operated by a vendor under contract with the state as provided by Chapter 841, Health and Safety Code;

(xiv) an entity that receives public funds in the current or preceding state fiscal year to manage the daily operations or restoration of the Alamo, or an entity that oversees such an entity; [and]

(xv) the part, section, or portion of an organization, corporation, commission, committee, institution, or agency that spends or that is supported in whole or in part by public funds; and

(xvi) a local school health advisory council established under Section 28.004, Education Code; and

(B) does not include:

(i) the judiciary; or

(ii) an economic development entity whose mission or purpose is to develop and promote the economic growth of a state agency or political subdivision with which the entity contracts if:

(a) the entity does not receive $1 million or more in public funds from a single state agency or political subdivision in the current or preceding state fiscal year; or

(b) the entity:

(1) either:

(A) does not have the authority to make decisions or recommendations on behalf of a state agency or political subdivision regarding tax abatements or tax incentives; or

(B) does not require an officer of the state agency or political subdivision to hold office as a member of the board of directors of the entity;

(2) does not use staff or office space of the state agency or political subdivision for no or nominal consideration, unless the space is available to the public;

(3) to a reasonable degree, tracks the entity's receipt and expenditure of public funds separately from the entity's receipt and expenditure of private funds; and

(4) provides at least quarterly public reports to the state agency or political subdivision regarding work performed on behalf of the state agency or political subdivision.

SECTION 3. (a) The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act. A meeting held before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

(b) The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a request for public information received on or after the effective date of this Act. A request for public information received before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the request was received, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.

* * * * *