By Chavez                                             H.B. No. 3317
         76R9231 MCK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to broadcasting over the Internet the public meetings and
 1-3     certain other events held by a state agency.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 551.128 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 551.128.  INTERNET BROADCAST OF CERTAIN STATE AGENCY
 1-8     MEETINGS.  (a)  In this section, "Internet" means the largest
 1-9     nonproprietary cooperative public computer network, popularly known
1-10     as the Internet.
1-11           (b)  A state agency that has at least one office outside
1-12     Austin shall use the Internet for the live broadcast of an open
1-13     meeting in accordance with Chapter 559.
1-14           (c)  A state agency that broadcasts a meeting over the
1-15     Internet shall provide on the Internet the same notice of the
1-16     meeting that the governmental body is required to post under
1-17     Subchapter C.  The notice on the Internet must be posted within the
1-18     time required for posting notice under Subchapter C.
1-19           SECTION 2.  Subtitle A, Title 5, Government Code, is amended
1-20     by adding Chapter 559 to read as follows:
1-21                         CHAPTER 559.  BROADCAST OF
1-22                  CERTAIN STATE AGENCY EVENTS OVER INTERNET
1-23           Sec. 559.001.  DEFINITION.  In this chapter, "Internet" means
1-24     the largest nonproprietary cooperative public computer network,
 2-1     popularly known as the Internet.
 2-2           Sec. 559.002.  BROADCAST OVER INTERNET.  A state agency that
 2-3     has at least one office outside Austin shall use the Internet for
 2-4     the live broadcast of the meetings, training sessions, seminars,
 2-5     and other events that would require the agency's employees to
 2-6     travel to Austin.
 2-7           Sec. 559.003.  INTERNET SITE.  (a)  A state agency that
 2-8     broadcasts a meeting, training session, seminar, or other event
 2-9     over the Internet shall establish an Internet site and provide
2-10     access to the public to the event from that site.  The events shall
2-11     be archived and available on the Internet site for at least 90
2-12     days.
2-13           (b)  The state agency shall contract with a private Internet
2-14     provider to broadcast the events.  The private Internet provider
2-15     shall supply the state agency with the software required to view
2-16     and listen to the broadcast of the event.
2-17           SECTION 3.  The subchapter heading to Subchapter F, Chapter
2-18     551, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:
2-19                     SUBCHAPTER F.  MEETINGS USING [BY]
2-20                       TELEPHONE, [CONFERENCE CALL OR]
2-21                     VIDEOCONFERENCE, OR INTERNET [CALL]
2-22           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-23           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-26     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-27     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.