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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to meetings held by certain conservation and reclamation |
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districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 49.064, Water Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 49.064. MEETINGS. (a) The board shall hold such |
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regular and special meetings as may be necessary for the proper |
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conduct of the district's business. Except as otherwise provided |
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by this section, all [All] meetings shall be conducted in |
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accordance with the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government |
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Code. A meeting of a committee of the board, or a committee |
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composed of representatives of more than one board, where less than |
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a quorum of any one board is present is not subject to the |
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provisions of the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, including |
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Sections 551.125, 551.127, and 551.131 of that code, or any other |
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law, the board may hold an open or closed meeting by telephone |
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conference call, videoconference, or other similar |
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telecommunication method. The board may use a telephone conference |
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call, videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method |
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for purposes of establishing a quorum, for voting, or for any other |
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meeting purpose. |
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(c) A meeting held by telephone conference call, |
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videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method is |
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subject to the notice requirements applicable to other board |
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meetings. |
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(d) The notice of a meeting to be held by telephone |
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conference call, videoconference, or other similar |
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telecommunication method must include: |
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(1) a toll-free telephone number or free-of-charge |
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access information for any audiovisual or audio-only feeds that |
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members of the public may use to hear and, if applicable, speak at |
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the meeting; and |
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(2) instructions for a member of the public on how to |
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use a remote access method described by Subdivision (1) to speak at |
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the meeting from a remote location. |
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(e) If the board prepares an agenda packet or regular |
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written reports that would have been distributed to members of the |
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public at a face-to-face meeting, the board shall make the packet |
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and any reports available electronically. |
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(f) If the board holds a meeting by telephone conference |
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call, videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method, |
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the board shall make a recording of the meeting with clear audio |
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quality. The board shall make the recording available to the public |
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for at least one year after the date of the meeting. |
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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, 2021. |