By Black                                              H.B. No. 1779
       74R6285 PAM-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to meetings of the Parks and Wildlife Commission.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code, is
    1-5  amended by adding Section 551.125 to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 551.125.  PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION.  (a)  The Parks
    1-7  and Wildlife Commission may conduct an open or closed meeting by
    1-8  telephone conference call as provided by this section.
    1-9        (b)  A meeting held by telephone conference call may be held
   1-10  only if:
   1-11              (1)  the meeting is a special called meeting and
   1-12  immediate action is required; and
   1-13              (2)  the convening at one location of a quorum of the
   1-14  commission members is difficult or impossible.
   1-15        (c)  The telephone conference call meeting is subject to the
   1-16  notice requirements applicable to other meetings.
   1-17        (d)  The notice of the telephone  conference call meeting
   1-18  must specify as the location of the meeting the location where
   1-19  meetings of the commission are usually held.
   1-20        (e)  Each part of the telephone conference call meeting that
   1-21  is required to be open to the public shall be audible to the public
   1-22  at the location specified in the notice of the meeting and shall be
   1-23  tape recorded.  The tape recording shall be made available to the
   1-24  public.
    2-1        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    2-2        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-3  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-4  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-5  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-6  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.