BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 413 89R10717 PRL-D By: Middleton Local Government 3/13/2025 Committee Report (Substituted) AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT School board officials are elected public servants representing their constituents. In some districts, in order to see an adopted resolution or the votes of a school board member, an individual must file a public information request which is a burdensome process that often takes some time to receive a response. Additionally, minutes that could provide clarity to what occurred during the proceedings are not required to show votes, and are often made available months after the meeting and voting have taken place. A school board could also decline to publish minutes entirely by posting a recording of the proceedings. In this case, it is often difficult to discern how the members voted, and requires watching multiple hearings to find a specific item they voted on without minutes to outline the proceedings. S.B. 413 would increase transparency of school boards to the voter by requiring a school board to publish adopted resolutions and the vote of each member to their meeting minutes, and make those minutes available on their website within 7 days of the vote taking place. This bill would also require school boards to post both the minutes and recording of the proceedings on the internet. The committee substitute is just a Legislative Council version and does not have any substantive changes. C.S.S.B. 413 amends current law relating to the meetings of the boards of trustees of independent school districts. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 11.0621, Education Code, as follows: Sec. 11.0621. MEETINGS. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires that the minutes, rather than the minutes, certified agenda, or recording, as applicable, of a regular or special meeting of the board of trustees (board) reflect each member's: (1) creates this subdivision from existing text and makes no further changes; and (2) vote on any item that is voted on by the board at the meeting. (b) Requires the board to post on the district's Internet website the minutes described by Subsection (a) not later than the seventh day after the date of a meeting at which a quorum of the board is present and voting and any resolution adopted by the board not later than the seventh day after the date of the meeting at which the resolution was adopted. (c) Requires the board to make a recording of each regular or special meeting of the board. (d) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires that the minutes and recording, rather than the minutes or tape recording, of an open meeting be accessible to the public in accordance with Section 551.022 (Minutes and Recording of Open Meeting: Public Record), Government Code. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 413
89R10717 PRL-D By: Middleton
Local Government
3/13/2025
Committee Report (Substituted)
Senate Research Center
C.S.S.B. 413
89R10717 PRL-D
By: Middleton
Local Government
3/13/2025
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
School board officials are elected public servants representing their constituents. In some districts, in order to see an adopted resolution or the votes of a school board member, an individual must file a public information request which is a burdensome process that often takes some time to receive a response. Additionally, minutes that could provide clarity to what occurred during the proceedings are not required to show votes, and are often made available months after the meeting and voting have taken place. A school board could also decline to publish minutes entirely by posting a recording of the proceedings. In this case, it is often difficult to discern how the members voted, and requires watching multiple hearings to find a specific item they voted on without minutes to outline the proceedings. S.B. 413 would increase transparency of school boards to the voter by requiring a school board to publish adopted resolutions and the vote of each member to their meeting minutes, and make those minutes available on their website within 7 days of the vote taking place. This bill would also require school boards to post both the minutes and recording of the proceedings on the internet. The committee substitute is just a Legislative Council version and does not have any substantive changes.
School board officials are elected public servants representing their constituents. In some districts, in order to see an adopted resolution or the votes of a school board member, an individual must file a public information request which is a burdensome process that often takes some time to receive a response. Additionally, minutes that could provide clarity to what occurred during the proceedings are not required to show votes, and are often made available months after the meeting and voting have taken place.
A school board could also decline to publish minutes entirely by posting a recording of the proceedings. In this case, it is often difficult to discern how the members voted, and requires watching multiple hearings to find a specific item they voted on without minutes to outline the proceedings.
S.B. 413 would increase transparency of school boards to the voter by requiring a school board to publish adopted resolutions and the vote of each member to their meeting minutes, and make those minutes available on their website within 7 days of the vote taking place. This bill would also require school boards to post both the minutes and recording of the proceedings on the internet.
The committee substitute is just a Legislative Council version and does not have any substantive changes.
C.S.S.B. 413 amends current law relating to the meetings of the boards of trustees of independent school districts.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 11.0621, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 11.0621. MEETINGS. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires that the minutes, rather than the minutes, certified agenda, or recording, as applicable, of a regular or special meeting of the board of trustees (board) reflect each member's:
(1) creates this subdivision from existing text and makes no further changes; and
(2) vote on any item that is voted on by the board at the meeting.
(b) Requires the board to post on the district's Internet website the minutes described by Subsection (a) not later than the seventh day after the date of a meeting at which a quorum of the board is present and voting and any resolution adopted by the board not later than the seventh day after the date of the meeting at which the resolution was adopted.
(c) Requires the board to make a recording of each regular or special meeting of the board.
(d) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires that the minutes and recording, rather than the minutes or tape recording, of an open meeting be accessible to the public in accordance with Section 551.022 (Minutes and Recording of Open Meeting: Public Record), Government Code.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.