By: Estes S.B. No. 916
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to quorums and meetings by teleconference of the Texas
Bioenergy Policy Council and the Texas Bioenergy Research
Committee.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subsection (e), Section 50D.011, Agriculture
Code, is amended to read as follows:
(e) Subject to Section 50D.017, the [The] policy council is
subject to Chapters 551 and 2001, Government Code.
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 50D, Agriculture Code, is
amended by adding Sections 50D.016 and 50D.017 to read as follows:
Sec. 50D.016. QUORUM. A quorum of the policy council
consists of not less than half of the members of the policy council.
A member who participates in a meeting by telephone conference
call, videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method
may be counted to establish a quorum.
Sec. 50D.017. MEETING BY TELECONFERENCE.
(a) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any other
law, the policy council may hold an open or closed meeting by
telephone conference call, videoconference, or other similar
telecommunication method if:
(1) notice is given for the meeting as for other
meetings;
(2) the notice specifies a location for the meeting at
which the public may attend;
(3) each part of the meeting that is required to be
open to the public is audible to the public at the location
specified in the notice of the meeting; and
(4) the meeting is recorded by electronic or other
means and the recording of each portion of the meeting that is
required to be open to the public is made available to the public.
(b) A member of the policy council may participate by
telephone conference call, videoconference, or other similar
telecommunication method in a policy council meeting at which other
members are physically present and may vote.
SECTION 3. Subsection (e), Section 50D.021, Agriculture
Code, is amended to read as follows:
(e) Subject to Section 50D.026, [The] research committee is
subject to Chapters 551 and 2001, Government Code.
SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 50D, Agriculture Code, is
amended by adding Sections 50D.025 and 50D.026 to read as follows:
Sec. 50D.025. QUORUM. A quorum of the research committee
consists of not less than half of the members of the research
committee. A member who participates in a meeting by telephone
conference call, videoconference, or other similar
telecommunication method may be counted to establish a quorum.
Sec. 50D.026. MEETING BY TELECONFERENCE.
(a) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any other
law, the research committee may hold an open or closed meeting by
telephone conference call, videoconference, or other similar
telecommunication method if:
(1) notice is given for the meeting as for other
meetings;
(2) the notice specifies a location for the meeting at
which the public may attend;
(3) each part of the meeting that is required to be
open to the public is audible to the public at the location
specified in the notice of the meeting; and
(4) the meeting is recorded by electronic or other
means and the recording of each portion of the meeting that is
required to be open to the public is made available to the public.
(b) A member of the research committee may participate by
telephone conference call, videoconference, or other similar
telecommunication method in a research committee meeting at which
other members are physically present and may vote.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.