By Danburg H.B. No. 1772 75R2206 JRD-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to allowing a governmental body to hold a meeting or 1-3 receive testimony by videoconference. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. The heading to Subchapter F, Chapter 551, 1-6 Government Code, is amended to read as follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER F. MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE CONFERENCE 1-8 CALL; VIDEOCONFERENCES 1-9 SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code, is 1-10 amended by adding Section 551.126 to read as follows: 1-11 Sec. 551.126. VIDEOCONFERENCES. (a) A governmental body may 1-12 hold an open or closed meeting in which one or more members of the 1-13 governmental body participate by videoconference. 1-14 (b) The notice of the meeting must specify each location 1-15 where a member of the governmental body who will participate in the 1-16 meeting will be located during the meeting. Each of those locations 1-17 shall be open to the public during the open portions of the 1-18 meeting. 1-19 (c) A meeting may not be convened under this section unless: 1-20 (1) a quorum of the governmental body is physically 1-21 present at one location of the meeting; and 1-22 (2) the location and the intent to have a quorum 1-23 present at that location are specified in the notice. 1-24 (d) The videoconference arrangement must allow: 2-1 (1) members of the public who attend the open portion 2-2 of the meeting at the location of the quorum to observe the 2-3 demeanor and hear the voice of each member of the governmental body 2-4 who is participating in the open portion of the meeting by 2-5 videoconference from another location; and 2-6 (2) each member of the governmental body who is 2-7 participating in the meeting to observe the demeanor and hear the 2-8 voice of each other member of the governmental body who is 2-9 participating in the meeting. 2-10 (e) If the videoconference arrangement for a particular 2-11 member does not substantially comply with this subsection, that 2-12 member may not participate in the meeting. 2-13 (f) Without regard to whether a member of the governmental 2-14 body is participating in a meeting from a remote location by 2-15 videoconference, a governmental body may allow a member of the 2-16 public to testify at a meeting from a remote location by 2-17 videoconference. 2-18 (g) The Department of Information Resources by rule shall 2-19 specify the minimum technical standards for participation in a 2-20 meeting by videoconference under this section. 2-21 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 2-22 applies only to a meeting for which notice is given under Chapter 2-23 551, Government Code, on or after that date. 2-24 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-27 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.