| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | |
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| 5 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 9 | | relating to meetings held by certain conservation and reclamation |
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| 8 | 10 | | districts. |
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| 9 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 49.064, Water Code, is amended to read as |
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| 11 | 13 | | follows: |
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| 12 | 14 | | Sec. 49.064. MEETINGS. (a) The board shall hold such |
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| 13 | 15 | | regular and special meetings as may be necessary for the proper |
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| 14 | 16 | | conduct of the district's business. Except as otherwise provided |
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| 15 | 17 | | by this section, all [All] meetings shall be conducted in |
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| 16 | 18 | | accordance with the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government |
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| 17 | 19 | | Code. A meeting of a committee of the board, or a committee |
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| 18 | 20 | | composed of representatives of more than one board, where less than |
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| 19 | 21 | | a quorum of any one board is present is not subject to the |
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| 20 | 22 | | provisions of the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code. |
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| 21 | 23 | | (b) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, including |
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| 22 | 24 | | Sections 551.125, 551.127, and 551.131 of that code, or any other |
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| 23 | 25 | | law, the board may hold an open or closed meeting by telephone |
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| 24 | 26 | | conference call, videoconference, or other similar |
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| 25 | 27 | | telecommunication method. The board may use a telephone conference |
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| 26 | 28 | | call, videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method |
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| 27 | 29 | | for purposes of establishing a quorum, for voting, or for any other |
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| 28 | 30 | | meeting purpose. |
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| 29 | 31 | | (c) A meeting held by telephone conference call, |
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| 30 | 32 | | videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method is |
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| 31 | 33 | | subject to the notice requirements applicable to other board |
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| 32 | 34 | | meetings. |
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| 33 | 35 | | (d) The notice of a meeting to be held by telephone |
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| 34 | 36 | | conference call, videoconference, or other similar |
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| 35 | 37 | | telecommunication method must include: |
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| 36 | 38 | | (1) a toll-free telephone number or free-of-charge |
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| 37 | 39 | | access information for any audiovisual or audio-only feeds that |
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| 38 | 40 | | members of the public may use to hear and, if applicable, speak at |
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| 39 | 41 | | the meeting; and |
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| 40 | 42 | | (2) instructions for a member of the public on how to |
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| 41 | 43 | | use a remote access method described by Subdivision (1) to speak at |
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| 42 | 44 | | the meeting from a remote location. |
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| 43 | 45 | | (e) If the board prepares an agenda packet or regular |
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| 44 | 46 | | written reports that would have been distributed to members of the |
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| 45 | 47 | | public at a face-to-face meeting, the board shall make the packet |
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| 46 | 48 | | and any reports available electronically. |
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| 47 | 49 | | (f) If the board holds a meeting by telephone conference |
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| 48 | 50 | | call, videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method, |
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| 49 | 51 | | the board shall make a recording of the meeting with clear audio |
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| 50 | 52 | | quality. The board shall make the recording available to the public |
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| 51 | 53 | | for at least one year after the date of the meeting. |
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| 52 | 54 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 53 | 55 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 54 | 56 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 55 | 57 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 56 | 58 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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