BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 772

By: Howard, Donna

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Section 551.128, Government Code, gives a governmental body the option to broadcast an open meeting over the Internet. A governmental body choosing to exercise this option is required to establish an Internet website and provide access to the broadcast from that website. Since 2004, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has provided only the audio feed from State Board of Education (SBOE) meetings on its website.

H.B. 772 requires the agency to provide a live webcast including video and audio of all SBOE meetings and to maintain an archive of past meetings on the TEA website. 

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

H.B. 772 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency (TEA), in a manner that complies with the statutory provisions relating to the Internet broadcast of an open meeting, to broadcast over the Internet live video and audio of each open meeting held by the State Board of Education (SBOE). The bill requires TEA, after each open meeting held by SBOE, to make available through TEA's Internet website archived video and audio for each meeting for which live video and audio was provided.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.