| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the authority of the advisory body of a public |
|
|
improvement district and the board of directors of a reinvestment |
|
|
zone to hold a meeting by a telecommunication device. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 372, Local Government |
|
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 372.0081 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 372.0081. ADVISORY BODY MEETINGS BY TELECOMMUNICATION |
|
|
DEVICE. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, if a member of an |
|
|
advisory body appointed under Section 372.008 is physically present |
|
|
at a meeting of the advisory body, any number of the other members |
|
|
of the advisory body may attend the meeting by use of telephone |
|
|
conference call, video conference call, or other similar |
|
|
telecommunication device. A member of the advisory body who |
|
|
attends a meeting via a telecommunication device is considered |
|
|
present for purposes of constituting a quorum, voting, and any |
|
|
other form of participation in the meeting. This subsection |
|
|
applies regardless of the subject of the meeting or topics |
|
|
considered at the meeting. |
|
|
(b) If an advisory body holds a meeting using a |
|
|
telecommunication device in the manner provided by Subsection (a), |
|
|
the advisory body must provide two-way audio communication between |
|
|
board members attending the meeting and, if the two-way audio |
|
|
communication link with a member is disrupted, stop the meeting |
|
|
until the link is reestablished. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Chapter 311, Tax Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Section 311.0093 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 311.0093. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS BY |
|
|
TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE. (a) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, |
|
|
Government Code, or any other law, if the chair or vice chair of the |
|
|
board of directors of a reinvestment zone is physically present at a |
|
|
meeting of the board, any number of the other members of the board |
|
|
may attend the meeting by use of telephone conference call, video |
|
|
conference call, or other similar telecommunication device. A |
|
|
member of the board who attends a meeting via a telecommunication |
|
|
device is considered present for purposes of constituting a quorum, |
|
|
voting, and any other form of participation in the board meeting. |
|
|
This subsection applies regardless of the subject of the meeting or |
|
|
topics considered at the meeting. |
|
|
(b) If the board holds a meeting using a telecommunication |
|
|
device in the manner provided by Subsection (a): |
|
|
(1) the meeting is subject to the notice requirements |
|
|
for other meetings; |
|
|
(2) the board must specify in the notice the location |
|
|
of the meeting at which the chair or vice chair will be physically |
|
|
present; |
|
|
(3) the board must make the meeting open and audible to |
|
|
the public at the location specified under Subdivision (2); and |
|
|
(4) the board must provide two-way audio communication |
|
|
between board members attending the meeting and, if the two-way |
|
|
audio communication link with a member is disrupted, stop the |
|
|
meeting until the link is reestablished. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |