BILL ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 246 By: Wentworth State Affairs 3-13-95 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND The Texas Open Meetings Act was enacted in 1976 as part of a national trend to make government more accessible to the people. A fundamental premise of the statute is that all meetings of governmental bodies are open to the public unless they are specifically excepted by the act or are specifically permitted by the Texas Constitution. While it is commonly accepted that the act applies to a regular or called meeting of a governmental body, it is unclear whether or not the act applies to informal meetings such as staff briefings. PURPOSE As proposed, C.S.S.B. 246 amends the definition of "meeting" as it relates to the open meetings law of governmental bodies. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 551.001(4), Government Code, to define "meeting" as a gathering of a quorum of members of a governmental body, if the governmental body has four or more members, and at which the members deliberate information from a third person about public business or public policy within the body's jurisdiction. SECTION 2. Repealer: Section 551.075, Government Code (Conference with Employees - Closed Meeting). SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.