By Wolens H.B. No. 156 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the application of the open meetings law to certain 1-3 meetings at which a governmental body receives information from 1-4 third persons, including government employees. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Section 551.001(4), Government Code, is amended 1-7 to read as follows: 1-8 (4) "Meeting" means: 1-9 (A) a deliberation between a quorum of a 1-10 governmental body, or between a quorum of a governmental body and 1-11 another person, during which public business or public policy over 1-12 which the governmental body has supervision or control is discussed 1-13 or considered or during which the governmental body takes formal 1-14 action; or 1-15 (B) a gathering: 1-16 (i) that is conducted by the governmental 1-17 body or for which the governmental body is responsible; 1-18 (ii) at a which a quorum of members of the 1-19 governmental body is present; 1-20 (iii) that has been called by that 1-21 governmental body; and 2-1 (iv) at which the members receive 2-2 information from, give information to, ask questions of, or receive 2-3 questions from any third person, including an employee of the 2-4 governmental body, about the public business or public policy over 2-5 which the governmental body has supervision or control. 2-6 The term does not include the gathering of a 2-7 quorum of a governmental body at a social function unrelated to the 2-8 public business that is conducted by the body, or the attendance by 2-9 a quorum of a governmental body at a regional, state, or national 2-10 convention or workshop, if formal action is not taken and any 2-11 discussion of public business is incidental to the social function, 2-12 convention, or workshop. The term includes a session of a 2-13 governmental body. 2-14 SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 551, Government Code, is 2-15 amended by adding Section 551.005 to read as follows: 2-16 Sec. 551.005. RECEIVING INFORMATION IN GATHERING OF LESS 2-17 THAN A QUORUM. This chapter does not prohibit a member or group of 2-18 members of a governing board of an institution of higher education 2-19 that schedules fewer than five regularly held meetings in a 2-20 calendar year from gathering in numbers less than a quorum for the 2-21 purpose of receiving information from or asking questions of any 2-22 third person, including an employee of the governmental body. 2-23 SECTION 3. Section 551.075, Government Code, is repealed. 2-24 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-4 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-5 passage, and it is so enacted.