SRC-BWC, TBR S.B. 170 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 170
77R2502 JRD-DBy: Wentworth
Administration Committee
1/18/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, 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.  As proposed, 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. 

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 Subchapter A, Chapter 551, Government Code, by adding
Section 551.0035 as follows: 

Sec. 551.0035.  ATTENDANCE BY GOVERNMENTAL BODY AT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
MEETING.  (a)  Provides that this section applies only to the attendance by
a quorum of a governmental body at a meeting of a committee of the
legislature.  Provides that this section does not apply to attendance at
the meeting by members of the legislative committee holding the meeting. 

(b)  Provides that attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at a
meeting of a committee 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. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2001.