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89(R) HB 638 - Engrossed version - Bill Text
89R17527 MCK-D
By: Tepper, Zwiener, Isaac
H.B. No. 638
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a requirement that certain water districts make audio
and video recordings of open meetings available on the Internet.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 551.128, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b-1) and adding Subsection (b-7) to read as
follows:
(b-1) A transit authority or department subject to Chapter
451, 452, 453, or 460, Transportation Code,
a district subject to
Chapter 36, 49, or 60, Water Code, all or part of which is located in
a county with a population of 125,000 or more,
an elected school
district board of trustees for a school district that has a student
enrollment of 10,000 or more, an elected governing body of a
home-rule municipality that has a population of 50,000 or more, or a
county commissioners court for a county that has a population of
125,000 or more shall:
(1) make a video and audio recording of reasonable
quality of each:
(A) regularly scheduled open meeting that is not
a work session or a special called meeting; and
(B) open meeting that is a work session or
special called meeting if:
(i) the governmental body is an elected
school district board of trustees for a school district that has a
student enrollment of 10,000 or more; and
(ii) at the work session or special called
meeting, the board of trustees votes on any matter or allows public
comment or testimony; and
(2) make available an archived copy of the video and
audio recording of each meeting described by Subdivision (1) on the
Internet.
(b-7)
A district subject to Chapter 36, 49, or 60, Water
Code, no part of which is located in a county with a population of
125,000 or more, shall:
(1)
make an audio recording of reasonable quality of
each regularly scheduled open meeting that is not a work session or
a special called meeting; and
(2)
make available an archived copy of the audio
recording of each meeting described by Subdivision (1) on the
Internet in the manner required by Subsections (b-3) and (b-4).
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
an open meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act. An
open meeting that is held before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date of the open meeting, and
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.