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                               * * * * *