Bill Text: TX SB1343 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to certain meetings of a commissioners court during a disaster or emergency.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-05-24 - Effective on 9/1/21 [SB1343 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1343-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 1343 | ||
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| 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, 2027. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1343 passed the Senate on | ||
| April 29, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1343 passed the House on | ||
| May 8, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 133, Nays 6, two present | ||
| not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
