SRC-SEW H.B. 35 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 35
77R6656 JD-DBy: McClendon (Armbrister)
State Affairs
5/8/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Holding public meetings through the use of videoconference calls offers the
potential for lowering the costs associated with traveling to the meetings
and increasing participation in the meetings. However, current law states
that a videoconference call may only be used in a public meeting if a
quorum of the governmental body is physically present at one location of
the meeting. H.B. 35 authorizes a meeting of a governmental body that
extends into three or more counties to be held by videoconference call only
if a majority of the quorum of the governmental body is physically present
at one location of the meeting.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 551.127, Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 551.127.  (a) No change.

(b) Authorizes a meeting to be held by videoconference call only if a
quorum of the governmental body is physically present at one location of
the meeting, except as provided by Subsection (c). 

(c)  Authorizes a meeting of a state governmental body or a governmental
body that extends into three or more counties to be held by videoconference
call only if a majority of the quorum of the governmental body is
physically present at one location of the meeting. 

  (d)  Makes a nonsubstantive change.  

(e) Makes a nonsubstantive change.  Requires the notice of a meeting to be
held by videoconference call to specify as a location of the meeting the
location where a quorum of the governmental body will be physically present
and specify the intent to have a quorum present at that location, except
that the notice of a meeting to be held by videoconference call under
Subsection (c) is required to specify as a location of the meeting each
location where a majority of the quorum of the governmental body will be
physically present and specify the intent to have a majority of the quorum
of the governmental body present at that location.   

  (f) - (k) Makes nonsubstantive and conforming changes.

SECTION 2. Effective date:  September 1, 2001.