BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                              S.B. 592

                                                                                                                                   By: Wentworth

                                                                                                                                       State Affairs

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Current law does not allow the presiding officer of a governmental body to communicate to the media notice of an emergency meeting or emergency addition to an agenda through facsimile transmission or electronic mail.

 

Senate Bill 592 will correct this by allowing presiding officers of governmental bodies the option to communicate through facsimile transmission or electronic mail the notice of an emergency meeting or emergency addition to an agenda.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

Senate Bill 592 amends Section 551.047(c) and 551.052(b) of the Government Code to add facsimile transmission and electronic mail to the list of approved means to communicate to the news media notice of an emergency meeting or emergency addition to an agenda, and removes telegraph as an approved means of communicating this same information.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.