78S20024 JRD-F
By: Swinford H.B. No. 8
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 December 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.