Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2317 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R11718 JCG-D
2	2	By: Toth H.B. No. 2317
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the requirements for meetings of certain special
8	8	districts.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 49.062, Water Code, is amended by
11	11	amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1),
12	12	(b-2), and (b-3) to read as follows:
13	13	(b) The board shall designate one or more places inside or
14	14	outside the district for conducting the meetings of the board. The
15	15	meeting place may be a private residence or office, provided that
16	16	the board, in its order establishing the meeting place, declares
17	17	the same to be a public place and invites the public to attend any
18	18	meeting of the board.
19	19	(b-1) The designated place must provide district residents
20	20	a reasonable opportunity to attend board meetings.
21	21	(b-2) If the board establishes a meeting place or places
22	22	outside the district:
23	23	(1) the place or places must be located within 10 miles
24	24	of the district boundaries; and
25	25	(2) the board [, it] shall give notice of the location
26	26	or locations by filing a true copy of the resolution establishing
27	27	the location or locations of the meeting place or places with the
28	28	commission and also by publishing notice of the location or
29	29	locations in a newspaper of general circulation in the district.
30	30	(b-3) If the location of any of the meeting places outside
31	31	the district is changed, notice of the change shall be given in the
32	32	same manner.
33	33	(c) After at least 25 qualified electors are residing in a
34	34	district, on the written request of at least five of those electors
35	35	for[,] the board to [shall] designate a different meeting place to
36	36	provide district residents a reasonable opportunity to attend
37	37	district meetings, the board shall determine whether [and hold
38	38	meetings within the district if it determines that] the designated
39	39	meeting place [used by the district] deprives the residents of a
40	40	reasonable opportunity to attend district meetings. On the board's
41	41	failure to designate a different [the location of the] meeting
42	42	place to provide district residents a reasonable opportunity to
43	43	attend district meetings [within the district], five electors may
44	44	petition the commission to designate a different location. If the
45	45	commission [it] determines that the meeting place used by the
46	46	district deprives the residents of a reasonable opportunity to
47	47	attend district meetings, the commission may designate a meeting
48	48	place inside or outside the district which is reasonably available
49	49	to the public and require that the meetings be held at that [such]
50	50	place. After the next election, the board may designate different
51	51	meeting places, including one located outside the boundaries of the
52	52	district.
53	53	SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
54	54	an open meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act. An
55	55	open meeting that is held before the effective date of this Act is
56	56	governed by the law in effect on the date of the open meeting, and
57	57	the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
58	58	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.