By Eiland                                        H.B. No. 668

      75R3947 JD-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the requirement that deliberations relating to

 1-3     collective bargaining between certain public employers and certain

 1-4     employee associations be open to the public.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 551, Government Code, is

 1-7     amended by adding Section 551.086 to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 551.086.  CERTAIN PUBLIC EMPLOYERS; CLOSED MEETING

 1-9     REGARDING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF EMPLOYEE

1-10     ASSOCIATION.  (a)  This chapter does not require a public employer

1-11     to conduct an open meeting to deliberate with one or more

1-12     representatives of an association authorized by Subchapter D,

1-13     Chapter 174, Local Government Code, to bargain collectively with

1-14     the public employer.

1-15           (b)  In this section, "association" and "public employer"

1-16     have the meanings assigned by Section 174.003, Local Government

1-17     Code.

1-18           SECTION 2.  Section 174.108, Local Government Code, is

1-19     amended to read as follows:

1-20           Sec. 174.108.  OPEN DELIBERATIONS.  A deliberation relating

1-21     to collective bargaining between a public employer and an

1-22     association, a deliberation by a quorum of an association

1-23     authorized to bargain collectively, or a deliberation by a member

1-24     of a public employer authorized to bargain collectively shall [be

 2-1     open to the public and] comply with state law.

 2-2           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.  The

 2-3     change in law made by this Act applies only to a deliberation

 2-4     between a public employer and an employee association that begins

 2-5     on or after September 4, 1997.  A deliberation between a public

 2-6     employer and an employee association that begins before September

 2-7     4, 1997, is covered by the law in effect when the deliberation

 2-8     begins, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-9           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.