SRC-BWC, TBR S.B. 170 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterS.B. 170 By: Wentworth Administration 6/7/2001 Enrolled DIGEST AND PURPOSE According to a recent attorney general's opinion, the attendance by a quorum of the members of the board of a state governmental body at a legislative hearing is subject to the Open Meetings Act if one or more of the members participates in a discussion of matters within the board's jurisdiction. S.B. 170 provides an exception to the Open Meetings Act for the attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at a meeting of a legislative committee if the deliberations of the members consist only of publicly testifying, publicly commenting, or publicly responding to a question at 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 Chapter 551A, Government Code, by adding Section 551.0035 as follows: Sec. 551.0035. ATTENDANCE BY GOVERNMENTAL BODY AT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE OR AGENCY MEETING. (a) Provides that this section applies only to the attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at a meeting of a committee or agency of the legislature. Provides that this section does not apply to attendance at the meeting by members of the legislative committee or agency holding the meeting. (b) Provides that attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at a meeting of a committee or agency of the legislature is not considered to be a meeting of that governmental body if the deliberations at the meeting by the members of that governmental body consist only of publicly testifying at the meeting, publicly commenting at the meeting, and publicly responding at the meeting to a question asked by a member of the legislative committee or agency. SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.