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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirement that certain governmental bodies make |
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audio and video recordings of open meetings available on the |
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Internet. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 551.128, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1), |
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(b-2), (b-3), (b-4), (b-5), and (b-6) to read as follows: |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1) and subject |
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[Subject] to the requirements of this section, a governmental body |
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may broadcast an open meeting over the Internet. |
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(b-1) A county commissioners court, an elected school |
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district board of trustees, or an elected governing body of a |
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home-rule municipality, if the county, school district, or |
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municipality has a population of 50,000 or more, shall: |
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(1) make a video and audio recording of reasonable |
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quality of each regularly scheduled open meeting that is not a work |
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session or a special called meeting; and |
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(2) make available an archived copy of the video and |
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audio recording of each meeting described by Subdivision (1) on the |
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Internet under this subsection. |
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(b-2) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) may |
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make available the archived recording of a meeting required by |
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Subsection (b-1) on an existing Internet site, including a publicly |
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accessible video-sharing or social networking site. The |
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governmental body is not required to establish a separate Internet |
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site and provide access to archived recordings of meetings from |
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that site. |
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(b-3) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) |
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that maintains an Internet site shall make available on that site, |
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in a conspicuous manner: |
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(1) the archived recording of each meeting to which |
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Subsection (b-1) applies; or |
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(2) an accessible link to the archived recording of |
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each such meeting. |
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(b-4) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) |
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shall: |
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(1) make the archived recording of each meeting to |
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which Subsection (b-1) applies available on the Internet not later |
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than seven days after the date the recording was made; and |
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(2) maintain the archived recording on the Internet |
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for not less than two years after the date the recording was first |
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made available. |
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(b-5) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) is |
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exempt from the requirements of Subsections (b-2) and (b-4) if the |
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governmental body's failure to make the required recording of a |
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meeting available is the result of a catastrophe, as defined by |
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Section 551.0411, or a technical breakdown. Following a catastrophe |
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or breakdown, a governmental body must make all reasonable efforts |
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to make the required recording available in a timely manner. |
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(b-6) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) may |
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broadcast a regularly scheduled open meeting of the body on |
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television. |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsection (b-2), a [A] |
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governmental body that broadcasts a meeting over the Internet shall |
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establish an Internet site and provide access to the broadcast from |
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that site. The governmental body shall provide on the Internet site |
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the same notice of the meeting that the governmental body is |
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required to post under Subchapter C. The notice on the Internet must |
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be posted within the time required for posting notice under |
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Subchapter C. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an open meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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open meeting that is held before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date of the open meeting, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |