By: Wentworth S.B. No. 695 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to consultations between a governmental body and its 1-3 attorney. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 551.129 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 551.129. CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENTAL BODY AND 1-8 ITS ATTORNEY. (a) A governmental body may use a telephone 1-9 conference call, video conference call, or communications over the 1-10 Internet to conduct a public consultation with its attorney in an 1-11 open meeting of the governmental body or a private consultation 1-12 with its attorney in a closed meeting of the governmental body. 1-13 (b) Each part of a public consultation by a governmental 1-14 body with its attorney in an open meeting of the governmental body 1-15 under Subsection (a) must be audible to the public at the location 1-16 specified in the notice of the meeting as the location of the 1-17 meeting. 1-18 (c) Subsection (a) does not: 1-19 (1) authorize the members of a governmental body to 1-20 conduct a meeting of the governmental body by telephone conference 1-21 call, video conference call, or communications over the Internet; 1-22 or 1-23 (2) create an exception to the application of this 1-24 subchapter. 1-25 (d) Subsection (a) does not apply to a consultation with an 2-1 attorney who is an employee of the governmental body. 2-2 (e) For purposes of Subsection (d), an attorney who receives 2-3 compensation for legal services performed, from which employment 2-4 taxes are deducted by the governmental body, is an employee of the 2-5 governmental body. 2-6 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-7 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-8 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-9 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-10 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.