BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 592
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Open Meetings Act requires notice of emergency meetings or items on an agenda to be made by telephone or telegraph. The telegraph, however, is an obsolete medium of communication, having been replaced in modern times by facsimile and electronic mail transmissions.
As proposed, S.B. 592 requires governmental bodies who call emergency meetings to notify the news media by facsimile or by electronic mail, in addition to telephone, rather than by telegraph.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 551.047(c), Government Code, to require the presiding officer or member of a governmental body to give notice of an emergency meeting or emergency item on the agenda to the news media by facsimile transmission or electronic mail. Deletes a requirement that the notice be sent by telegraph.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 551.052(b), Government Code, to require a school district to provide notice of a meeting to any news media outlet that has requested and agreed to reimburse the district for such notice by facsimile transmission or electronic mail. Deletes a requirement that the notice be sent by telegraph.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.