S.B. No. 239
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to meetings for certain special purpose districts.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 403.0241(c), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  For each special purpose district described by
  Subsection (b), the database must include:
               (1)  the name of the special purpose district;
               (2)  the name of each board member of the special
  purpose district;
               (3)  contact information for the main office of the
  special purpose district, including the physical address, the
  mailing address, and the main telephone number;
               (4)  if the special purpose district employs a person
  as a general manager or executive director, or in another position
  to perform duties or functions comparable to those of a general
  manager or executive director, the name of the employee;
               (5)  if the special purpose district contracts with a
  utility operator, contact information for a person representing the
  utility operator, including a mailing address and a telephone
  number;
               (6)  if the special purpose district contracts with a
  tax assessor-collector, contact information for a person
  representing the tax assessor-collector, including a mailing
  address and telephone number;
               (7)  the special purpose district's Internet website
  address, if any;
               (8)  the information the special purpose district is
  required to report under Section 140.008(b) or (g), Local
  Government Code, including any revenue obligations;
               (9)  the total amount of bonds authorized by the voters
  of the special purpose district that are payable wholly or partly
  from ad valorem taxes, excluding refunding bonds if refunding bonds
  were separately authorized and excluding contract revenue bonds;
               (10)  the aggregate initial principal amount of all
  bonds issued by the special purpose district that are payable
  wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, excluding refunding bonds
  and contract revenue bonds;
               (11)  the rate of any sales and use tax the special
  purpose district imposes; [and]
               (12)  for a special purpose district that imposes an ad
  valorem tax:
                     (A)  the ad valorem tax rate for the most recent
  tax year if the district is a district as defined by Section 49.001,
  Water Code; or
                     (B)  the table of ad valorem tax rates for the most
  recent tax year described by Section 26.16, Tax Code, in the form
  required by that section, if the district is not a district as
  defined by Section 49.001, Water Code; and
               (13)  a link to the Internet website described by
  Section 49.062(g), Water Code, with a plain-language description of
  how a resident may petition to require that board meetings of
  certain special purpose districts be held not further than 10 miles
  from the boundary of the district.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 551.1283 to read as follows:
         Sec. 551.1283.  GOVERNING BODY OF CERTAIN WATER DISTRICTS:  
  INTERNET POSTING OF MEETING MATERIALS; RECORDING OF CERTAIN
  HEARINGS.  (a)  This section only applies to a special purpose
  district subject to Chapter 51, 53, 54, or 55, Water Code, that has
  a population of 500 or more.
         (b)  On written request of a district resident made to the
  district not later than the third day before a public hearing to
  consider the adoption of an ad valorem tax rate, the district shall
  make an audio recording of reasonable quality of the hearing and
  provide the recording to the resident in an electronic format not
  later than the fifth business day after the date of the hearing.  
  The district shall maintain a copy of the recording for at least one
  year after the date of the hearing.
         (c)  A district shall post the minutes of the meeting of the
  governing body to the district's Internet website if the district
  maintains an Internet website.
         SECTION 3.  Section 49.062, Water Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (c-1), (e),
  (f), and (g) to read as follows:
         (b)  The board shall designate one or more places inside or
  outside the district for conducting the meetings of the board. The
  meeting place may be a private residence or office, provided that
  the board, in its order establishing the meeting place, declares
  the same to be a public place and invites the public to attend any
  meeting of the board. If the board establishes a meeting place or
  places outside the district, it shall give notice of the location or
  locations by filing a true copy of the resolution establishing the
  location or locations of the meeting place or places and a
  justification of why the meeting will not be held in the district or
  within 10 miles of the boundary of the district, if applicable, with
  the commission and also by publishing notice of the location or
  locations in a newspaper of general circulation in the district. If
  the location of any of the meeting places outside the district is
  changed, notice of the change shall be given in the same manner.
         (c)  After at least 50 [25] qualified electors are residing
  in a district, on written request of at least five of those
  electors, the board shall designate a meeting place and hold
  meetings within the district.  If no suitable meeting place exists
  inside the district, the board may designate a meeting place
  outside the district that is located not further than 10 miles from
  the boundary of the district [if it determines that the meeting
  place used by the district deprives the residents of a reasonable
  opportunity to attend district meetings].
         (c-1)  On the failure, after a request is made under
  Subsection (c), of the board to designate the location of the
  meeting place within the district or not further than 10 miles from
  the boundary of the district, five electors may petition the
  commission to designate a location. If it determines that the
  meeting place used by the district deprives the residents of a
  reasonable opportunity to attend district meetings, the commission
  shall [may] designate a meeting place inside or outside the
  district which is reasonably available to the public and require
  that the meetings be held at such place. [After the next election,
  the board may designate different meeting places, including one
  located outside the boundaries of the district.]
         (e)  After holding a meeting at a place designated under
  Subsection (c) or (c-1), the board may hold a hearing on the
  designation of a different meeting place, including a meeting place
  outside of the district.  The board may hold meetings at the
  designated meeting place if, at the hearing, the board determines
  that the new meeting place is beneficial to the district and will
  not deprive the residents of the district of a reasonable
  opportunity to attend meetings.  The board may not hold meetings at
  a meeting place outside the district or further than 10 miles from
  the boundaries of the district if the board receives a petition
  under Subsection (c-1).
         (f)  The commission shall make a determination under
  Subsection (c-1) not later than the 60th day after the date the
  commission receives the petition.
         (g)  The commission shall provide information on the
  commission's Internet website on the process for designation by the
  commission of a meeting place under Subsection (c-1) and a form that
  may be used to request that the commission make the designation with
  submission instructions. 
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter C, Chapter 49, Water Code, is amended
  by adding Section 49.0631 to read as follows:
         Sec. 49.0631.  MEETING INFORMATION ON WATER BILL. A
  district providing potable water or sewer service shall as a part of
  the district's billing process include on a district's bill to a
  customer the following statement:  "For more information about the
  district, including information about the district's board and
  board meetings, please go to the Comptroller's Special Purpose
  District Public Information Database or (district's Internet
  website if the district maintains an Internet website)."  The
  statement may be altered to provide the current Internet website
  address of either the database created under Section 403.0241,
  Government Code, or the district.
         SECTION 5.  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 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 239 passed the Senate on
  May 3, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 239 passed the House on
  May 10, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 1, two
  present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor