Texas § SD.3501.056 - HEARINGS BY TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE

§ SD.3501.056. HEARINGS BY TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE

HEARINGS BY TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE. (a) Notwithstanding Chapter 551 , Government Code, or other law, if the president or vice president of the board, or chairperson or vice chairperson of a board committee, is physically present at a meeting of the board or committee, any number of the other members of the board or committee may attend the meeting by use of telephone conference call, video conference call, or other similar telecommunication device. A member of the board or committee who attends a meeting via a telecommunication device is considered present for purposes of constituting a quorum, voting, and any other form of participation in the board or committee meeting. This subsection applies regardless of the subject of the meeting or topics considered at the meeting. (b) If the board or committee of the board holds a meeting using a telecommunication device in the manner provided by Subsection (a): (1) the meeting is subject to the notice requirements for other meetings; (2) the board or committee must specify in the notice the location of the meeting at which the president, vice president, chairperson, or vice chairperson will be physically present; (3) the board or committee must make the meeting open and audible to the public at the location specified under Subdivision (2); and (4) the board or committee must provide two-way audio communication between board or committee members attending the meeting and, if the two-way audio communication link with a member is disrupted, stop the meeting until the link is reestablished. Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 288 (H.B. 4579 ), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2021. SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES