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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a requirement that certain water districts make audio |
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and video recordings of open meetings available on the Internet. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 551.128, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b-1) and adding Subsection (b-7) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b-1) A transit authority or department subject to Chapter |
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451, 452, 453, or 460, Transportation Code, a district subject to |
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Chapter 36, 49, or 60, Water Code, all or part of which is located in |
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a county with a population of 125,000 or more, an elected school |
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district board of trustees for a school district that has a student |
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enrollment of 10,000 or more, an elected governing body of a |
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home-rule municipality that has a population of 50,000 or more, or a |
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county commissioners court for a county that has a population of |
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125,000 or more shall: |
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(1) make a video and audio recording of reasonable |
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quality of each: |
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(A) regularly scheduled open meeting that is not |
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a work session or a special called meeting; and |
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(B) open meeting that is a work session or |
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special called meeting if: |
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(i) the governmental body is an elected |
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school district board of trustees for a school district that has a |
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student enrollment of 10,000 or more; and |
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(ii) at the work session or special called |
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meeting, the board of trustees votes on any matter or allows public |
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comment or testimony; and |
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(2) make available an archived copy of the video and |
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audio recording of each meeting described by Subdivision (1) on the |
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Internet. |
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(b-7) A district subject to Chapter 36, 49, or 60, Water |
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Code, no part of which is located in a county with a population of |
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125,000 or more, shall: |
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(1) make an audio recording of reasonable quality of |
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each regularly scheduled open meeting that is not a work session or |
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a special called meeting; and |
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(2) make available an archived copy of the audio |
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recording of each meeting described by Subdivision (1) on the |
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Internet in the manner required by Subsections (b-3) and (b-4). |
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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, 2025. |