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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Internet broadcast or audio recording of certain |
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open meetings. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 551, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 551.024 and 551.025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 551.024. INTERNET BROADCAST AND ARCHIVE OF OPEN |
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MEETINGS. (a) This section applies only to a governmental body |
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that is an agency within the executive or legislative branch of |
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state government to which the total appropriation made in the |
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General Appropriations Act from general revenue for any fiscal year |
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beginning on or after September 1, 2021, including any amount of |
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general revenue transferred to the governmental body under that Act |
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for that fiscal year, is greater than $10 million and for which the |
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bill pattern for the General Appropriations Act for the same fiscal |
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year designates 100 or more full-time employees. |
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(b) A governmental body that becomes subject to this section |
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under Subsection (a) for a fiscal year shall comply with this |
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section in each following fiscal year. |
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(c) A governmental body subject to this section shall |
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broadcast over the Internet live video and audio of each open |
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meeting of the governmental body. The governmental body shall |
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provide access to the broadcast on the governmental body's Internet |
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website. |
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(d) Not later than the seventh day after the date an open |
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meeting is broadcast under this section, the governmental body |
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shall make available through the governmental body's Internet |
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website archived video and audio of the open meeting. The |
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governmental body shall maintain the archived video and audio of |
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the open meeting on the governmental body's Internet website until |
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the second anniversary of the date the archived video and audio was |
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first made available on the website. |
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(e) The governmental body shall provide on the governmental |
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body's Internet website the same notice of the open meeting that the |
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governmental body is required to post under Subchapter C. The |
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notice must be posted on the governmental body's Internet website |
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within the time required for posting notice under Subchapter C. |
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(f) The governmental body may use for an Internet broadcast |
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of an open meeting of the governmental body a room made available to |
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the governmental body on request in any state building, as defined |
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by Section 2165.301. |
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(g) The governmental body is exempt from the requirements of |
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this section to the extent a catastrophe, as defined by Section |
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551.0411, or a technical breakdown prevents the governmental body |
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from complying with this section. Following the catastrophe or |
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technical breakdown, the governmental body 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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(h) The governmental body shall consider contracting |
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through 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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Sec. 551.025. INTERNET ACCESS TO AUDIO RECORDING OF OPEN |
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MEETING. (a) This section applies only to a governmental body that |
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is an agency within the executive or legislative branch of the state |
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government to which Section 551.024 does not apply. |
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(b) Not later than the seventh day after the date an open |
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meeting is held, a governmental body subject to this section shall |
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make available through the governmental body's Internet website or |
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a social media account associated with the governmental body an |
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audio recording of the open meeting. |
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(c) The governmental body shall provide on the governmental |
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body's Internet website or a social media account associated with |
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the governmental body the same notice of the open meeting that the |
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governmental body is required to post under Subchapter C. The |
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notice must be posted on the governmental body's Internet website |
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or a social media account associated with the governmental body |
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within the time required for posting notice under Subchapter C. |
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(d) The governmental body is exempt from the requirements of |
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this section to the extent a catastrophe, as defined by Section |
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551.0411, or a technical breakdown prevents the governmental body |
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from complying with this section. Following the catastrophe or |
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technical breakdown, the governmental body shall make all |
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reasonable efforts to make the required audio recording of the open |
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meeting available in a timely manner. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 551.024 and 551.025, Government Code, |
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as added by this Act, apply only to an open meeting held on or after |
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September 1, 2023. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |