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