HBA-SEP H.B. 371 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 371 By: Glaze State Affairs 66/12/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, nonprofit corporations eligible to receive public funding under the federal community services block grant program and that serve a geographic area of the state, are subject to the open records law. However, prior to the 77th Legislature, they were not subject to the open meetings law. This created a situation that may have allowed decisions to be made without the knowledge of, or an opportunity for input by, interested parties. House Bill 371 subjects these nonprofit corporations to the open meetings law. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 371 amends the Government Code to expand the definition of "governmental body," as it applies to open meetings and public information, to include a nonprofit corporation that is eligible to receive funds under the federal community services block grant program and that is authorized by this state to serve a geographic area of the state. The change in law made by this Act applies only to a deliberation during an open meeting of the governing body of a nonprofit corporation described by this Act that begins on or after September 4, 2001. The change in law made by this Act applies to public information held by a nonprofit corporation described by this Act regardless of when the information was collected or assembled. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.