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Senate Bill 1297 |
Senate Author: Watson |
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Effective: 9-1-13 |
House Sponsor: Branch |
Senate Bill 1297 amends the Government Code to establish that a communication or exchange of information between members of a governmental body about public business or public policy over which the governmental body has supervision or control does not constitute a meeting or deliberation for purposes of state open meetings law if the communication is in writing, the writing is posted to an online message board or similar Internet application that is viewable and searchable by the public, and the communication is displayed in real time and displayed on the online message board or similar Internet application for no less than 30 days after the communication is first posted. The bill prohibits the governmental body from voting or taking any action that is required to be taken at an open meeting by posting a communication to the online message board or similar Internet application, clarifies that such a communication or posting is not to be construed to be an action of the body, and sets out additional provisions relating to such a board or application.