HBA-LJP, EDN S.B. 170 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 170 By: Wentworth State Affairs 3/1/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, when a quorum of members of a governmental body attend a public meeting of a legislative committee and one or more of the members testifies, answers questions, or furnishes information concerning an issue within the jurisdiction of the governmental body to the legislative committee, the governmental body and the legislative committee are required to post separate notices under the open meetings law. Senate Bill 170 provides that a quorum of a governmental body at a meeting of a legislative committee is exempt from the public notice requirement under the open meetings law. 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 Senate Bill 170 amends the Government Code to provide that the attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at a legislative committee meeting (committee meeting) is not considered to be a meeting of that governmental body if the deliberations by members of the governmental body consist only of publicly testifying, commenting, and responding at the committee meeting to a question asked by a legislative committee member. These provisions do not apply to attendance at a committee meeting by members of the legislative committee holding the committee meeting. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.