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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to changing the elements of an offense for certain open |
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meetings requirements for a member of a governmental body. |
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B |
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E IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sec. 551.143(a), Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 551.143. CIRCUMVENTION OF [CONSPIRACY TO CIRCUMVENT] |
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CHAPTER; OFFENSE; PENALTY. (a) A member [or group of members] of a |
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governmental body commits an offense if the member outside of a |
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meeting knowingly engages directly or indirectly in a series of |
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verbal or written communications with other members of the |
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governmental body without a quorum present regarding a tacit or |
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explicit agreement to act uniformly in sufficient number to |
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constitute a quorum concerning: [or group of
members knowingly
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conspires to circumvent this
chapter by
meeting in
numbers less
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than a quorum for the purpose of
secret deliberations in
violation
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of this
chapter.] |
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(1) an issue within the jurisdiction of the |
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governmental body; or |
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(2) any public business. |
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(b) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor |
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punishable by: |
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(1) a fine of not less than $100 or more than $500; |
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(2) confinement in the county jail for not less than |
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one month or more than six months; or |
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(3) both the fine and confinement. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |