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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirements for meetings held and Internet |
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websites developed by certain special purpose districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 551.1283, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 551.1283. GOVERNING BODY OF CERTAIN WATER DISTRICTS: |
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INTERNET WEBSITES [POSTING OF MEETING MATERIALS]; RECORDING OF |
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MEETINGS [CERTAIN HEARINGS]. (a) In this section, "board" means the |
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governing body of a special purpose district to which this section |
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applies. |
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(a-1) This section only applies to a special purpose |
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district subject to Chapter 51, 53, 54, or 55, Water Code, that has |
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a population of 500 or more. |
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(b) A [On written request of a district resident made to the |
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district not later than the third day before a public hearing to |
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consider the adoption of an ad valorem tax rate, the] district shall |
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develop and maintain an Internet website [make an audio recording |
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of reasonable quality of the hearing and provide the recording to |
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the resident in an electronic format not later than the fifth |
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business day after the date of the hearing. The district shall |
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maintain a copy of the recording for at least one year after the |
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date of the hearing]. |
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(c) A district shall make available on the district's |
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Internet website: |
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(1) contact information for each member of the board; |
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(2) the time and place of the next meeting of the |
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board; |
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(3) a live video stream of each meeting of the board; |
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(4) a video recording of each meeting of the board |
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posted not later than the fifth business day after the date of the |
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meeting and maintained for not less than one year; |
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(5) the minutes of each meeting of the board; and |
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(6) information about: |
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(A) the budget set by the district; and |
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(B) any tax rate set by the district [post the |
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minutes of the meeting of the governing body to the district's |
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Internet website if the district maintains an Internet website]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 49.062(b), Water Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The board shall designate one or more places inside [or |
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outside] the district for conducting the meetings of the board. The |
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meeting place may be a private residence or office, provided that |
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the board, in its order establishing the meeting place, declares |
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the same to be a public place and invites the public to attend any |
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meeting of the board. If the board establishes that no suitable |
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place exists for meeting inside the district, a meeting place or |
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places outside the district may be designated. The board [, it] |
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shall give notice of the location or locations of a meeting place or |
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places outside the district by filing a true copy of the resolution |
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establishing the location or locations of the meeting place or |
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places and a justification of why the meeting will not be held in |
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the district or within 10 miles of the boundary of the district, if |
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applicable, with the commission and also by publishing notice of |
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the location or locations in a newspaper of general circulation in |
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the district. If the location of any of the meeting places outside |
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the district is changed, notice of the change shall be given in the |
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same manner. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 49.062(c), (c-1), (e), (f), and (g), |
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Water Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |