HBA-ALS H.B. 1030 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1030
By: Hawley
State Affairs
3/11/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, school board advisory committee meetings are not exempt
from the Open Meetings Act.  This is the case even if the committee
consists of less than a quorum, acts in an advisory capacity only, and
exercises no control over the board of trustees of a school district. The
purpose of this bill is to exempt from open meetings requirements a school
board advisory committee that consists of less than a quorum and exercises
no control or authority of the board of trustees. 

H.B.1030 includes a session of a governmental body within the term
"meeting," and excludes a committee quorum, a subcommittee quorum, or
certain entities created within a school district  for advisory purposes
only. 

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. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends 551.001(4), Government Code, to include a session of a
governmental body within the term "meeting."  Provides that the term
"meeting" does not include a deliberation between: 

_ a quorum of a committee,   
_ a quorum of a subcommittee, or
_ any similar entity created within a school district and consisting of
less than a quorum        of the trustees of the district, if the entity is
created for advisory purposes only and does      not supervise, control, or
exercise any authority of the board of trustees or take any formal
action.   

Deletes language providing that the term includes a session of a
governmental body.  Makes nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.