LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 86TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
Revision 1
 
April 30, 2019

TO:
Honorable Dade Phelan, Chair, House Committee on State Affairs
 
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director     Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director
Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB318 by Howard (relating to the Internet broadcast or audio recording of certain open meetings.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Chapter 551 of the Government Code to require certain agencies to
broadcast open meetings live over the internet and make an archived broadcast available online
for two years. This provision of the bill would apply to agencies within the executive or legislative branch that receive an annual appropriation of $10 million or more in General Revenue, including transfers, and have 100 or more full-time equivalent employees. The bill would require agencies within the executive or legislative branch that do not meet these criteria to make an archived audio recording of an open meeting. The bill would apply only to open meetings that take place on or after September 1, 2021.

Many large agencies currently comply with provisions of the bill that require video broadcasting
and archiving of open meetings on the internet. It is assumed that most large agencies could
implement requirements of the bill within existing resources. The Department of Agriculture, Historical Commission, and Texas Medical Board indicate that costs associated with implementing provisions of the bill could be significant.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 306 Library & Archives Commission, 307 Secretary of State, 313 Department of Information Resources, 332 Department of Housing and Community Affairs, 360 State Office of Administrative Hearings, 401 Military Department, 452 Department of Licensing and Regulation, 455 Railroad Commission, 479 State Office of Risk Management, 503 Texas Medical Board, 554 Animal Health Commission, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 608 Department of Motor Vehicles, 808 Historical Commission
LBB Staff:
WP, CMa, JQ, BRi