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.