Relating to board of directors meeting locations of certain special districts.

89(R) HB 391 - Engrossed version - Bill Text

89R19482 SCF-D

By: Bell of Kaufman, Gerdes, Noble, Zwiener,

H.B. No. 391

Holt, et al.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to board of directors meeting locations of certain special

districts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 49.062(b-1), Water Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b-1)
If the board of
[
In this subsection, "rural area

district" means
] a district in which more than half of the

district's projected retail water or sewer connections are active

[
and that is not wholly or partly located in a county that as of the

2010 Census had a population of 800,000 or more or bordered a county

with a population of 800,000 or more.

If the board of a rural area

district
] conducts meetings at least quarterly, the board shall

conduct a meeting
at least once per quarter:

(1)
at a designated meeting location
:

(A)
inside the district
;

(B)
[
or
] within 10 miles of the boundary of the

district
; or

(C) if
[
at least once per quarter. If
] the board

determines that it is not practical to meet
inside the district or

within 10 miles of the boundary of the district, [
the district may

conduct the quarterly meeting
] at another designated meeting place

in the county in which the district is located
; or

(2)

by telephone conference call or video conference

call, as provided by Section 49.064(b)
.

SECTION 2. Section 49.064, Water Code, is amended to read as

follows:

Sec. 49.064. MEETINGS.
(a)
The board shall hold such

regular and special meetings as may be necessary for the proper

conduct of the district's business.
Except as provided by

Subsection (b), all
[
All
] meetings shall be conducted in accordance

with [
the open meetings law,
] Chapter 551, Government Code. A

meeting of a committee of the board, or a committee composed of

representatives of more than one board, where less than a quorum of

any one board is present is not subject to the provisions of [
the

open meetings law,
] Chapter 551, Government Code.

(b)

Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, the board

may hold a regular or special meeting by telephone conference call

or video conference call if at least one board member participating

in the meeting is physically present at a location that is open to

the public during the open portions of the meeting.

A board member

who participates in a meeting by telephone conference call or video

conference call shall be counted as present at the meeting for all

purposes.

SECTION 3. Subchapter G, Chapter 54, Water Code, is amended

by adding Section 54.6015 to read as follows:

Sec.

54.6015.

PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF TAX

RATE. A public hearing at which the adoption of a tax rate will be

considered must be conducted:

(1) at a designated meeting location:

(A) inside the district; or

(B)

within 10 miles of the boundary of the

district; or

(2)

by telephone conference call or video conference

call, as provided by Section 49.064(b).

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.