Bill Text: TX HB62 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to certain meetings of a commissioners court during a disaster or emergency.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-14 - Referred to Business & Commerce [HB62 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB62-Engrossed.html
| 86R26078 SRS-D | ||
| By: Zerwas, Reynolds, Miller, Stephenson, | H.B. No. 62 | |
| Bailes | ||
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to certain meetings of a commissioners court during a | ||
| disaster or emergency. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 551, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 551.091 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 551.091. COMMISSIONERS COURTS: DELIBERATION REGARDING | ||
| DISASTER OR EMERGENCY. (a) This section applies only to the | ||
| commissioners court of a county: | ||
| (1) for which the governor has issued an executive | ||
| order or proclamation declaring a state of disaster or a state of | ||
| emergency; and | ||
| (2) in which transportation to the meeting location is | ||
| dangerous or difficult as a result of the disaster or emergency. | ||
| (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter and | ||
| subject to Subsection (c), a commissioners court to which this | ||
| section applies may hold an open or closed meeting, including a | ||
| telephone conference call, solely to deliberate about disaster or | ||
| emergency conditions and related public safety matters that require | ||
| an immediate response without complying with the requirements of | ||
| this chapter, including the requirement to provide notice before | ||
| the meeting or to first convene in an open meeting. | ||
| (c) To the extent practicable under the circumstances, the | ||
| commissioners court shall provide reasonable public notice of a | ||
| meeting under this section and if the meeting is an open meeting | ||
| allow members of the public and the press to observe the meeting. | ||
| (d) The commissioners court: | ||
| (1) may not vote or take final action on a matter | ||
| during a meeting under this section; and | ||
| (2) shall prepare and keep minutes or a recording of a | ||
| meeting under this section and make the minutes or recording | ||
| available to the public as soon as practicable. | ||
| (e) This section expires September 1, 2025. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
