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.