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Texas Civil Statutes), as added by Section 2, Chapter 549, 1-52 Acts of the 70th Legislature, Regular Session, 1987, is repealed. 1-53 SECTION 3.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 -------------------------------------------------------------------