86R11718 JCG-D
By: Toth H.B. No. 2317
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the requirements for meetings of certain special
districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 49.062, Water Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1),
(b-2), and (b-3) to read as follows:
(b) The board shall designate one or more places inside or
outside the district for conducting the meetings of the board. The
meeting place may be a private residence or office, provided that
the board, in its order establishing the meeting place, declares
the same to be a public place and invites the public to attend any
meeting of the board.
(b-1) The designated place must provide district residents
a reasonable opportunity to attend board meetings.
(b-2) If the board establishes a meeting place or places
outside the district:
(1) the place or places must be located within 10 miles
of the district boundaries; and
(2) the board [, it] shall give notice of the location
or locations by filing a true copy of the resolution establishing
the location or locations of the meeting place or places with the
commission and also by publishing notice of the location or
locations in a newspaper of general circulation in the district.
(b-3) If the location of any of the meeting places outside
the district is changed, notice of the change shall be given in the
same manner.
(c) After at least 25 qualified electors are residing in a
district, on the written request of at least five of those electors
for[,] the board to [shall] designate a different meeting place to
provide district residents a reasonable opportunity to attend
district meetings, the board shall determine whether [and hold
meetings within the district if it determines that] the designated
meeting place [used by the district] deprives the residents of a
reasonable opportunity to attend district meetings. On the board's
failure to designate a different [the location of the] meeting
place to provide district residents a reasonable opportunity to
attend district meetings [within the district], five electors may
petition the commission to designate a different location. If the
commission [it] determines that the meeting place used by the
district deprives the residents of a reasonable opportunity to
attend district meetings, the commission may designate a meeting
place inside or outside the district which is reasonably available
to the public and require that the meetings be held at that [such]
place. After the next election, the board may designate different
meeting places, including one located outside the boundaries of the
district.
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, 2019.