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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Internet broadcast of open meetings of the Texas |
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Racing Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 2, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e, |
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Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section 2.115 |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 2.115. INTERNET BROADCAST AND ARCHIVE OF OPEN |
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MEETINGS. (a) The commission shall: |
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(1) broadcast over the Internet live video and audio |
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of each meeting of the commission that is an open meeting subject to |
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Chapter 551, Government Code; |
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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 of |
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the meeting on the commission's Internet website. |
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(b) Not later than the seventh day after the date an open |
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meeting of the commission is broadcast under this section, the |
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commission shall make available through the commission's Internet |
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website archived video and audio of the meeting. The commission |
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shall maintain the archived video and audio of the meeting on the |
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commission's Internet website for not less than two years after the |
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date the archived video and audio was first made available on the |
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website. |
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(c) The commission shall provide on the commission's |
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Internet website the same notice of an open meeting of the |
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commission that the commission is required to post under Subchapter |
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C, Chapter 551, Government Code. The notice must be posted on the |
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commission's Internet website within the time required for posting |
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notice under that subchapter. |
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(d) The commission may use for an Internet broadcast of an |
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open meeting of the commission under this section a room made |
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available to the commission on request in any state building, as |
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that term is defined by Section 2165.301, Government Code. |
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(e) The commission 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, Government Code, or a technical breakdown prevents the |
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commission from complying with this section. Following the |
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catastrophe or technical breakdown, the commission shall make all |
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reasonable efforts to make the required video and audio of the open |
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meeting available in a timely manner. |
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(f) 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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SECTION 2. Section 2.115, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e, |
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Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as added by this Act, applies only |
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to an open meeting held on or after September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |