HBA-KDB, RKM H.B. 35 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 35
By: McClendon
State Affairs
2/23/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Holding public meetings through the use of videoconference calls offers the
potential for lowering the costs associated with traveling to the meetings
and increasing participation in the meetings.  However, current law states
that a videoconference call may only be used in a public meeting if a
quorum of the governmental body is physically present at one location of
the meeting.  House Bill 35 authorizes a public meeting to be held by
videoconference call among the members of a governmental body, even if a
quorum is not physically present at one location. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 35 amends the Government Code to authorize a meeting to be held
by videoconference call among the members of a governmental body, even if a
quorum is not physically present at one location. The bill authorizes one
or more of the members of the governmental body participating in the
meeting held by videoconference call to be physically present at any
location of the meeting. 

The bill provides that the notice of a meeting to be held by
videoconference call must specify as a location of the meeting each
location where a member of the governmental body who will participate in
the meeting will be physically present.  The bill requires each location
where a member of the governmental body participating in the meeting is
physically present to be open to the public during the open portions of the
meeting.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.