By: Campbell S.B. No. 1440
(In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2017; March 20, 2017, read
first time and referred to Committee on Business & Commerce;
April 26, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8,
Nays 1; April 26, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at
certain candidate events under the open meetings law.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 551.001(4), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(4) "Meeting" means:
(A) a deliberation between a quorum of a
governmental body, or between a quorum of a governmental body and
another person, during which public business or public policy over
which the governmental body has supervision or control is discussed
or considered or during which the governmental body takes formal
action; or
(B) except as otherwise provided by this
subdivision, a gathering:
(i) that is conducted by the governmental
body or for which the governmental body is responsible;
(ii) at which a quorum of members of the
governmental body is present;
(iii) that has been called by the
governmental body; and
(iv) at which the members receive
information from, give information to, ask questions of, or receive
questions from any third person, including an employee of the
governmental body, about the public business or public policy over
which the governmental body has supervision or control.
The term does not include the gathering of a quorum of a
governmental body at a social function unrelated to the public
business that is conducted by the body, [or] the attendance by a
quorum of a governmental body at a regional, state, or national
convention or workshop, ceremonial event, or press conference, or
the attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at a candidate
forum, appearance, or debate to inform the electorate, if formal
action is not taken and any discussion of public business is
incidental to the social function, convention, workshop,
ceremonial event, [or] press conference, forum, appearance, or
debate.
The term includes a session of a governmental body.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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