| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the open meetings law. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 551.001(3), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(3) "Governmental body" means: |
|
|
(A) a board, commission, department, committee, |
|
|
or agency within the executive or legislative branch of state |
|
|
government that is directed by one or more elected or appointed |
|
|
members; |
|
|
(B) a county commissioners court in the state; |
|
|
(C) a municipal governing body in the state; |
|
|
(D) a deliberative body that has rulemaking or |
|
|
quasi-judicial power and that is classified as a department, |
|
|
agency, or political subdivision of a county or municipality; |
|
|
(E) a school district board of trustees; |
|
|
(F) a county board of school trustees; |
|
|
(G) a county board of education; |
|
|
(H) the governing board of a special district |
|
|
created by law; |
|
|
(I) a local workforce development board created |
|
|
under Section 2308.253; |
|
|
(J) a nonprofit corporation that is eligible to |
|
|
receive funds under the federal community services block grant |
|
|
program and that is authorized by this state to serve a geographic |
|
|
area of the state; |
|
|
(K) a nonprofit corporation organized under |
|
|
Chapter 67, Water Code, that provides a water supply or wastewater |
|
|
service, or both, and is exempt from ad valorem taxation under |
|
|
Section 11.30, Tax Code; |
|
|
(L) a joint board created under Section 22.074, |
|
|
Transportation Code; [and] |
|
|
(M) a board of directors of a reinvestment zone |
|
|
created under Chapter 311, Tax Code; and |
|
|
(N) a board of managers appointed under Chapter |
|
|
39A, Education Code. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 551.041, Government Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 551.041. NOTICE OF MEETING REQUIRED. (a) A |
|
|
governmental body shall give written notice of the date, hour, |
|
|
place, and subject of each meeting held by the governmental body. |
|
|
(b) The notice must include an agenda for the meeting that |
|
|
is the subject of the notice that: |
|
|
(1) is sufficiently specific to inform the public of |
|
|
each subject to be considered in the open portion of the meeting, |
|
|
including any matter: |
|
|
(A) that is special or unusual; or |
|
|
(B) in which the public may have a particular |
|
|
interest; and |
|
|
(2) describes any subject to be considered in the |
|
|
closed portion of the meeting, if applicable. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 551.074, Government Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 551.074. PERSONNEL MATTERS; CLOSED MEETING. (a) This |
|
|
chapter does not require a governmental body to conduct an open |
|
|
meeting: |
|
|
(1) to deliberate the appointment, employment, |
|
|
evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a |
|
|
specific public officer or employee; or |
|
|
(2) to hear a complaint or charge against an officer or |
|
|
employee. |
|
|
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply if: |
|
|
(1) the officer or employee who is the subject of the |
|
|
deliberation or hearing requests a public hearing; or |
|
|
(2) the governmental body's deliberations under |
|
|
Subsection (a)(1) concern operational issues that generally impact |
|
|
a class or group of employees, including changes in the duties or |
|
|
compensation of a class or group of employees. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 551.083, Government Code, is repealed. |
|
|
SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|
|
a meeting of a governmental body held on or after the effective date |
|
|
of this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |