HBA-KDB, RKM H.B. 35 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 35
By: McClendon
State Affairs
8/14/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND 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 for increasing participation in the meetings.  However, state law prior
to the 77th Legislature stated that a videoconference call could only be
used in a public meeting if a quorum of the governmental body was
physically present at one location of the meeting.  House Bill 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

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 35 amends the Government Code to provide that a meeting of a
state governmental body or a governmental body that extends into three or
more counties may be held by a video conference call only if a majority of
the quorum of the governmental body is physically present at one location
of the meeting. 

The bill provides that the notice of such a meeting must 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.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.