By Goodman                                             H.B. No. 419
       74R3269 JD-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the authority of the governing board of the Texas Youth
    1-3  Commission to hold an open or closed meeting by telephone
    1-4  conference call.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code, is
    1-7  amended by adding Section 551.125 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 551.125.  GOVERNING BOARD OF TEXAS YOUTH COMMISSION.
    1-9  (a)  This chapter does not prohibit the governing board of the
   1-10  Texas Youth Commission from holding an open or closed meeting by
   1-11  telephone conference call.
   1-12        (b)  A meeting held by telephone conference call may be held
   1-13  only if:
   1-14              (1)  the meeting is a special called meeting and
   1-15  immediate action is required; and
   1-16              (2)  the convening at one location of a quorum of the
   1-17  governing board is difficult or impossible.
   1-18        (c)  The telephone conference call meeting is subject to the
   1-19  notice requirements applicable to other meetings.
   1-20        (d)  The notice of the telephone conference call meeting must
   1-21  specify as the location of the meeting the location where meetings
   1-22  of the governing board are usually held.
   1-23        (e)  Each part of the telephone conference call meeting that
   1-24  is required to be open to the public shall be audible to the public
    2-1  at the location specified in the notice of the meeting as the
    2-2  location of the meeting and shall be tape recorded.  The tape
    2-3  recording shall be made available to the public.
    2-4        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-5  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-6  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-7  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-8  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-9  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-10  passage, and it is so enacted.