1-1     By:  Wentworth                                         S.B. No. 916
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 5, 1999; March 8, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
 1-4     March 29, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 29, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to notices of open meetings posted by the secretary of
 1-9     state.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 551.044, Government Code,
1-12     is amended to read as follows:
1-13           (a)  The secretary of state must post notice on the Internet
1-14     of a meeting of a state board, commission, department, or officer
1-15     having statewide jurisdiction for at least seven days before the
1-16     day of the meeting.  The secretary of state shall provide during
1-17     regular office hours a computer terminal at a place convenient to
1-18     the public in the office of the secretary of state that members of
1-19     the public may use to view notices of meetings posted by the
1-20     secretary of state.
1-21           SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 551.048, Government Code,
1-22     is amended to read as follows:
1-23           (b)  The secretary of state shall post the notice on the
1-24     Internet.  The secretary of state shall provide during regular
1-25     office hours a computer terminal [a bulletin board] at a place
1-26     convenient to the public in the [main] office of the secretary of
1-27     state that members of the public may use to view the notice.
1-28           SECTION 3.  Subsection (b), Section 551.053, Government Code,
1-29     is amended to read as follows:
1-30           (b)  The secretary of state shall post the notice provided
1-31     under Subsection (a)(2) on the Internet.  The secretary of state
1-32     shall provide during regular office hours a computer terminal [a
1-33     bulletin board] at a place convenient to the public in the [main]
1-34     office of the secretary of state that members of the public may use
1-35     to view the notice.
1-36           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.  The
1-37     change in law made by this Act applies only to notices of meetings
1-38     that must first be posted by the secretary of state on or after
1-39     that date for the notice to be timely posted.  Notices of meetings
1-40     that must first be posted by the secretary of state before that
1-41     date for the notice to be timely posted are governed by the law
1-42     that existed on the date the notice must first be posted to be
1-43     timely, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-44                                  * * * * *