By:  Zaffirini                                                    S.B. No. 690


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the requirement to post meetings of a governmental body 
under the open meetings law in certain circumstances.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 551, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 551.0411 to read as follows:
	Sec. 551.0411.  MEETING NOTICE REQUIREMENTS IN CERTAIN 
CIRCUMSTANCES.  (a)  Section 551.041 does not require a 
governmental body that recesses an open meeting to the following 
regular business day to post notice of the continued meeting if the 
action is taken in good faith and not to circumvent this chapter.  
If an open meeting is continued to the following regular business 
day and, on that following day, the governmental body continues the 
meeting to another day, the governmental body must give written 
notice as required by this subchapter of the meeting continued to 
that other day.
	(b)  A governmental body that is prevented from convening an 
open meeting that was otherwise properly posted under Section 
551.041 because of a catastrophe may convene the meeting in a 
convenient location within 72 hours pursuant to Section 551.045 if 
the action is taken in good faith and not to circumvent this 
chapter.  If the governmental body is unable to convene the open 
meeting within those 72 hours, the governmental body may 
subsequently convene the meeting only if the governmental body 
gives written notice of the meeting as required by this subchapter.
	(c)  In this section, "catastrophe" means a condition or 
occurrence that interferes physically with the ability of a 
governmental body to conduct a meeting, including:
		(1)  fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, or 
wind, rain, or snow storm;
		(2)  power failure, transportation failure, or 
interruption of communication facilities;
		(3)  epidemic; or                                                      
		(4)  riot, civil disturbance, enemy attack, or other 
actual or threatened act of lawlessness or violence.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.