1-1 By: Hunter of Taylor (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister) H.B. No. 2508 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 15, 1995; 1-3 May 17, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on State 1-4 Affairs; May 25, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 25, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the authority of a governmental body to hold an open or 1-9 closed meeting by telephone conference call. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code, is 1-12 amended by adding Section 551.125 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 551.125. OTHER GOVERNMENTAL BODY. (a) Except as 1-14 otherwise provided by this subchapter, this chapter does not 1-15 prohibit a governmental body from holding an open or closed meeting 1-16 by telephone conference call. 1-17 (b) A meeting held by telephone conference call may be held 1-18 only if: 1-19 (1) an emergency or public necessity exists within the 1-20 meeting of Section 551.045 of this chapter; and 1-21 (2) the convening at one location of a quorum of the 1-22 governmental body is difficult or impossible; or 1-23 (3) the meeting is held by an advisory board. 1-24 (c) The telephone conference call meeting is subject to the 1-25 notice requirements applicable to other meetings. 1-26 (d) The notice of the telephone conference call meeting must 1-27 specify as the location of the meeting the location where meetings 1-28 of the governmental body are usually held. 1-29 (e) Each part of the telephone conference call meeting that 1-30 is required to be open to the public shall be audible to the public 1-31 at the location specified in the notice of the meeting as the 1-32 location of the meeting and shall be tape-recorded. The tape 1-33 recording shall be made available to the public. 1-34 (f) The location designated in the notice as the location of 1-35 the meeting shall provide two-way communication during the entire 1-36 telephone conference call meeting and the identification of each 1-37 party to the telephone conference shall be clearly stated prior to 1-38 speaking. 1-39 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-40 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-41 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-42 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-43 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-44 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-45 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-46 * * * * *