83R6868 RWG-F
By: Fallon H.B. No. 889
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the requirement that certain governmental bodies
broadcast meetings on the Internet.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 551.128, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1) and
(b-2) to read as follows:
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1) and subject
[Subject] to the requirements of this section, a governmental body
may broadcast an open meeting over the Internet.
(b-1) The governing body of a county, public school
district, or home-rule municipality with a population of 50,000 or
more shall:
(1) broadcast each regularly scheduled open meeting
over the Internet; and
(2) make available archived video and audio of each
meeting broadcast over the Internet under this subsection.
(b-2) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) may
broadcast a regularly scheduled open meeting and make available
archived video and audio of a meeting over an existing Internet
site, including a publicly accessible video-sharing or social
networking site. The governmental body is not required to establish
a separate Internet site and provide access to broadcasts from that
site. The governmental body is still subject to the notice
requirements under Subsection (c) in relation to the site at which
the meetings are available.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (b-2), a [A]
governmental body that broadcasts a meeting over the Internet shall
establish an Internet site and provide access to the broadcast from
that site. The governmental body shall provide on the Internet site
the same notice of the meeting that the governmental body is
required to post under Subchapter C. The notice on the Internet must
be posted within the time required for posting notice under
Subchapter C.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
an open meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act. An
open meeting that is held before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date of the open meeting, and
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.