Honorable Jeff Wentworth, Chair, Senate Committee on Open Government, Select
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1906 by Wentworth (Relating to certain notice requirements for municipalities and counties under the open meetings law.), As Introduced
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Government Code to specify that notwithstanding Sections 551.041 and 551.042, a quorum of the governing body of a county may receive from staff of the political subdivision and a member of the governing body may make a report about items of community interest during a meeting without giving notice of the subject if no action is taken and possible action is not discussed regarding the information in the report.
The bill also would authorize a municipal governmental body to post notice of each meeting on the municipalities Internet website and if posting a notice, require the municipal governmental body to provide a computer terminal at certain municipal facilities convenient to the public to view notices of meetings posted.
Local Government Impact
According to the Texas Municipal League (TML), there would be costs to municipalities, especially smaller municipalities for the requirement to provide a computer terminal for public usage if the municipality posts meeting notices on their websites and currently does not have an available computer. The Open Meetings Act requires municipalities under a population of 48,000 to post notice of meetings if they have a website; larger municipalities are required to post the entire agenda.
Approximately 100 municipalities provided fiscal impact information to TML, many of which reported costs ranging from an estimated $500 to $6,000 not including additional costs for computer and software maintenance; office space and furniture; training; staff for trouble-shooting; accessibility for persons with disabilities; upgrades to current computers; Internet access and wiring; and Internet Service Provider monthly fees.