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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the persons who must be physically present for certain |
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remote meetings under the open meetings law. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 551.127, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (c) and (e) and adding Subsection (e-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) A meeting of a state governmental body or a governmental |
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body that extends into three or more counties may be held by |
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videoconference call only if the member of the governmental body |
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presiding over the meeting or the member's designee is physically |
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present at one location of the meeting that is open to the public |
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during the open portions of the meeting. |
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(e) The notice of a meeting to be held by videoconference |
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call must specify as a location of the meeting the location where a |
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quorum of the governmental body will be physically present and |
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specify the intent to have a quorum present at that location. |
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(e-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (e), [except that] the |
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notice of a meeting to be held by videoconference call under |
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Subsection (c) must specify as a location of the meeting the |
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location where the member of the governmental body presiding over |
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the meeting or the member's designee will be physically present and |
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specify the intent to have that person [the member of the |
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governmental body presiding over the meeting] present at that |
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location. The location [where the member of the governmental body |
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presiding over the meeting is physically present] shall be open to |
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the public during the open portions of the meeting. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an open meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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open meeting that is held before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date of the open meeting, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |