H.B. No. 630
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the Internet broadcast and archiving of open meetings
  of the Health and Human Services Commission, health and human
  services agencies, and related advisory entities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 531.0121, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
  follows:
         (c)  The commission shall make available on the commission's
  Internet website:
               (1)  the master calendar;
               (2)  all meeting materials for an advisory committee
  meeting; and
               (3)  streaming live video and audio of each advisory
  committee meeting.
         (e)  The commission shall ensure that advisory committee
  meetings are broadcast, are archived on the Internet website of the
  agency to which the advisory committee provides advice, and are
  subject to public notice requirements to the same extent and in the
  same manner that the broadcast, archiving, and notice of agency
  meetings are required under Section 531.0165.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 531.0165 to read as follows:
         Sec. 531.0165.  INTERNET BROADCAST AND ARCHIVE OF OPEN
  MEETINGS. (a) In this section, "agency" means the commission or a
  health and human services agency.
         (b)  Each agency shall:
               (1)  broadcast over the Internet live video and audio
  of each open meeting of the agency;
               (2)  make a video and audio recording of reasonable
  quality of the broadcast; and
               (3)  provide access to the archived video and audio on
  the agency's Internet website.
         (c)  Not later than the seventh day after the date an open
  meeting is broadcast under this section, the agency shall make
  available through the agency's Internet website archived video and
  audio of the open meeting. The agency shall maintain the archived
  video and audio of the open meeting on the agency's Internet website
  for not less than two years after the date the archived video and
  audio was first made available on the website.
         (d)  Each agency shall provide on the agency's Internet
  website the same notice of the open meeting that the agency is
  required to post under Subchapter C, Chapter 551. The notice must
  be posted on the agency's Internet website within the time required
  for posting notice under Subchapter C, Chapter 551.
         (e)  Each agency may use for an Internet broadcast of an open
  meeting of the agency a room made available to the agency on request
  in any state building, as that term is defined by Section 2165.301.
         (f)  Each agency is exempt from the requirements of this
  section to the extent a catastrophe, as defined by Section
  551.0411, or a technical breakdown prevents the agency from
  complying with this section. Following the catastrophe or
  technical breakdown, the agency shall make all reasonable efforts
  to make the required video and audio of the open meeting available
  in a timely manner.
         (g)  The commission shall consider contracting through
  competitive bidding with a private individual or entity to
  broadcast and archive an open meeting subject to this section to
  minimize the cost of complying with this section.
         (h)  The requirements of this section also apply to the
  meetings of any advisory body that advises the executive
  commissioner or an agency.  The archived video and audio of an
  advisory body's meeting must be made available through the Internet
  website of the agency to which the advisory body provides advice.
         SECTION 3.  Sections 531.0051(g) and (m), Government Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (g)  The council shall comply with the requirements of
  Section 531.0165 [give public notice of the date, time, and place of
  each meeting held by the council.     A live video transmission of
  each meeting must be publicly available through the Internet].  The
  archived video and audio of a council meeting must be made available
  through the commission's Internet website.
         (m)  Except as provided by Section 531.0165(d), Chapters 551
  and 2110 do not apply to the council.
         SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  an open meeting held on or after September 1, 2023.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 630 was passed by the House on April
  5, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 630 was passed by the Senate on May
  11, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor