1-1 By: Wentworth, et al. S.B. No. 1020
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1993; March 15, 1993, read
1-3 first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
1-4 April 14, 1993, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8,
1-5 Nays 1; April 14, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-6 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-7 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-8 Harris of Dallas x
1-9 Rosson x
1-10 Carriker x
1-11 Henderson x
1-12 Leedom x
1-13 Lucio x
1-14 Luna x
1-15 Nelson x
1-16 Patterson x
1-17 Shelley x
1-18 Sibley x
1-19 West x
1-20 Whitmire x
1-21 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-22 AN ACT
1-23 relating to the application of the open meetings law to certain
1-24 meetings of governmental bodies.
1-25 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-26 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 1, Chapter 271, Acts of
1-27 the 60th Legislature, Regular Session, 1967 (Article 6252-17,
1-28 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-29 (a) "Meeting" means:
1-30 (1) any deliberation between a quorum of members of a
1-31 governmental body, or between a quorum of members of a governmental
1-32 body and any other person, at which any public business or public
1-33 policy over which the governmental body has supervision or control
1-34 is discussed or considered, or at which any formal action is taken;
1-35 or
1-36 (2) a gathering at which a quorum of members of a
1-37 governmental body is present and at which the body receives
1-38 information from, gives information to, asks questions of, or
1-39 receives questions from any third person, including an employee of
1-40 the governmental body, about the public business or public policy
1-41 over which the body has supervision or control.
1-42 It shall not be construed that the intent of this definition
1-43 is to prohibit the gathering of members of the governmental body in
1-44 numbers of a quorum or more for social functions unrelated to the
1-45 public business which is conducted by the body or for attendance of
1-46 regional, state, or national conventions or workshops as long as no
1-47 formal action is taken and any discussion of public business is
1-48 incidental to the functions, conventions, or workshops.
1-49 SECTION 2. Subsection (r), Section 2, Chapter 271, Acts of
1-50 the 60th Legislature, Regular Session, 1967 (Article 6252-17,
1-51 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as added by Section 2, Chapter 549,
1-52 Acts of the 70th Legislature, Regular Session, 1987, is repealed.
1-53 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-54 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-55 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-56 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-57 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-58 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-59 passage, and it is so enacted.
1-60 * * * * *
1-61 Austin,
1-62 Texas
1-63 April 14, 1993
1-64 Hon. Bob Bullock
1-65 President of the Senate
1-66 Sir:
1-67 We, your Committee on State Affairs to which was referred S.B.
1-68 No. 1020, have had the same under consideration, and I am
2-1 instructed to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation
2-2 that it do pass and be printed.
2-3 Harris of
2-4 Dallas, Chairman
2-5 * * * * *
2-6 WITNESSES
2-7 FOR AGAINST ON
2-8 ___________________________________________________________________
2-9 Name: James E. Cousar x
2-10 Representing: Common Cause-Texas
2-11 City: Austin
2-12 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-13 Name: Susan Horton x
2-14 Representing: Tx Municipal League
2-15 City: Austin
2-16 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-17 Name: Suzy Woodford x
2-18 Representing: Common Cause-Texas
2-19 City: Austin
2-20 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-21 Name: Barbara Taute x
2-22 Representing: Texas Media
2-23 City: Austin
2-24 -------------------------------------------------------------------