78S10212 MTB-D

By:  Cook of Colorado                                             H.B. No. 63 



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to meetings of the Legislative Budget Board conducted 
through the use of certain telecommunication devices.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 322.003, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
	(d)  As an exception to Chapter 551 and other law, if the 
chairman and vice-chairman of the board are physically present at a 
meeting, any number of the other members of the board may attend a 
meeting of the board by use of telephone conference call, video 
conference call, or other similar telecommunication device.  This 
subsection applies for purposes of constituting a quorum, for 
purposes of voting, and for any other purpose allowing a member of 
the board to otherwise fully participate in any meeting of the 
board.  This subsection applies without exception with regard to 
the subject of the meeting or topics considered by the members.
	(e)  A meeting held by use of telephone conference call, 
video conference call, or other similar telecommunication device:
		(1)  is subject to the notice requirements applicable 
to other meetings;
		(2)  must specify in the notice of the meeting the 
location of the meeting at which the chairman and vice-chairman 
will be physically present;
		(3)  must be open to the public and shall be audible to 
the public at the location specified in the notice of the meeting as 
the location of the meeting at which the chairman and vice-chairman 
will be physically present; and
		(4)  must provide two-way audio communication between 
all members of the board attending the meeting during the entire 
meeting.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect November 1, 2003.  The 
change in law made by this Act applies in relation to a notice given 
on or after that date of a meeting of the Legislative Budget Board.