85R2626 JCG-D
By: Huffines S.B. No. 124
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Internet broadcast of open meetings of the Texas
State Board of Pharmacy.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 552, Occupations Code, is amended by
adding Section 552.0105 to read as follows:
Sec. 552.0105. INTERNET BROADCAST AND ARCHIVE OF OPEN
MEETINGS. (a) The board shall broadcast over the Internet live
video and audio of each open meeting of the board. The board shall
provide access to the broadcast on the board's Internet website.
(b) Not later than the seventh day after the date an open
meeting is broadcast under this section, the board shall make
available through the board's Internet website archived video and
audio of the open meeting. The board shall maintain the archived
video and audio of the open meeting on the board's Internet website
until the second anniversary of the date the archived video and
audio was first made available on the website.
(c) The board shall provide on the board's Internet website
the same notice of the open meeting that the board is required to
post under Subchapter C, Chapter 551, Government Code. The notice
must be posted on the board's Internet website within the time
required for posting notice under Subchapter C, Chapter 551,
Government Code.
(d) The board may use for an Internet broadcast of an open
meeting of the board a room made available to the board on request
in any state building, as that term is defined by Section 2165.301,
Government Code.
(e) The board is exempt from the requirements of this
section to the extent a catastrophe, as defined by Section
551.0411, Government Code, or a technical breakdown prevents the
board from complying with this section. Following the catastrophe
or technical breakdown, the board shall make all reasonable efforts
to make the required video and audio of the open meeting available
in a timely manner.
(f) The board shall consider contracting through
competitive bidding with a private individual or entity to
broadcast and archive an open meeting subject to this section to
minimize the cost of complying with this section.
SECTION 2. Section 552.0105, Occupations Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to an open meeting held on or after September
1, 2019.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.