88R634 MCK-F
By: Schwertner S.B. No. 335
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to meetings of the Family and Protective Services Council
held using certain telecommunication devices.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 40.021, Human Resources Code, is amended
by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
(g) A council meeting held by use of a telephone conference
call, video conference call, or other similar telecommunication
device:
(1) is subject to the notice requirements applicable
to other meetings;
(2) must be open to the public and audible to the
public at the location specified in the notice of the meeting;
(3) must provide two-way audio communication:
(A) between all board members attending the
meeting during the entire meeting; and
(B) if public testimony is provided at the
meeting, between all board members and a member of the public
testifying at the specified meeting location during the public
testimony portion of the meeting; and
(4) if the two-way audio communication link described
by Subdivision (3) is disrupted at any time, may not continue until
the two-way audio communication link is reestablished.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a Family and Protective Services Council meeting held on or after
the effective date of this Act. A meeting held before the effective
date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date of the
meeting, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.