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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirement that certain governmental bodies |
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broadcast meetings on the Internet. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 551.128, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1) and |
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(b-2) to read as follows: |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1) and subject |
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[Subject] to the requirements of this section, a governmental body |
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may broadcast an open meeting over the Internet. |
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(b-1) The governing body of a county, public school |
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district, or home-rule municipality with a population of 50,000 or |
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more shall: |
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(1) broadcast each regularly scheduled open meeting |
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over the Internet; and |
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(2) make available archived video and audio of each |
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meeting broadcast over the Internet under this subsection. |
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(b-2) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) may |
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broadcast a regularly scheduled open meeting and make available |
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archived video and audio of a meeting over an existing Internet |
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site, including a publicly accessible video-sharing or social |
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networking site. The governmental body is not required to establish |
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a separate Internet site and provide access to broadcasts from that |
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site. The governmental body is still subject to the notice |
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requirements under Subsection (c) in relation to the site at which |
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the meetings are available. |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsection (b-2), a [A] |
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governmental body that broadcasts a meeting over the Internet shall |
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establish an Internet site and provide access to the broadcast from |
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that site. The governmental body shall provide on the Internet site |
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the same notice of the meeting that the governmental body is |
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required to post under Subchapter C. The notice on the Internet must |
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be posted within the time required for posting notice under |
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Subchapter C. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an open meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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open meeting that is held before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date of the open meeting, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |