By Hinojosa                                            H.B. No. 894
         77R3194 JRD-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to requiring certain governmental bodies to consistently
 1-3     post notice of an open meeting at the same designated location.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 551, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 551.0435 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 551.0435.  PLACE OF POSTING NOTICE: CONSISTENCY
 1-8     REQUIRED. (a) This section does not apply to a governmental body in
 1-9     the executive or legislative branch of state government.
1-10           (b)  Each governmental body shall designate a primary place
1-11     at which notices of all meetings held by the governmental body must
1-12     be posted.  The governmental body may designate a secondary place
1-13     at which the notice must be posted if the primary place becomes
1-14     inaccessible for a reason such as construction. The designated
1-15     primary and secondary places must meet all other requirements of
1-16     this subchapter regarding the place at which notice of a meeting
1-17     must be posted.
1-18           (c)  If a governmental body customarily posts notice of a
1-19     meeting at two locations to continuously comply with the
1-20     accessibility requirement of Section 551.043 and to additionally
1-21     comply with an applicable requirement of Sections 551.049-551.054
1-22     during normal business hours, the governmental body shall designate
1-23     each location as a primary place under Subsection (b).
1-24           (d)  If another law requires that a governmental body post
 2-1     notice of a meeting in more than one location, the governmental
 2-2     body shall designate each location as a primary place under
 2-3     Subsection (b) except to the extent that:
 2-4                 (1)  in a manner similar to Section 551.127(d), the
 2-5     other law addresses circumstances under which the place of posting
 2-6     will inherently be subject to change; or
 2-7                 (2)  the other law imposes a posting requirement that
 2-8     does not concern a geographic location, such as a requirement to
 2-9     publish notice in a periodical or on the Internet.
2-10           (e)  A county clerk shall comply with Subsection (b), and if
2-11     applicable Subsection (c), with regard to the clerk's duties under
2-12     Sections 551.053 and 551.054.
2-13           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and the
2-14     change in law made by this Act applies only in relation to a
2-15     meeting that is first convened on or after October 1, 2001.