By: Howard (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 630          (In the Senate - Received from the House April 6, 2017;   April 19, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on   Business & Commerce; May 3, 2017, reported favorably by the   following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 3, 2017, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to the Internet broadcast and archiving of open meetings   of the Health and Human Services Commission, health and human   services agencies, and related advisory entities.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 531.0121, Government Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read as   follows:          (c)  The commission shall make available on the commission's   Internet website:                (1)  the master calendar;                (2)  all meeting materials for an advisory committee   meeting; and                (3)  streaming live video and audio of each advisory   committee meeting.          (e)  The commission shall ensure that advisory committee   meetings are broadcast, are archived on the Internet website of the   agency to which the advisory committee provides advice, and are   subject to public notice requirements to the same extent and in the   same manner that the broadcast, archiving, and notice of agency   meetings are required under Section 531.0165.          SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 531, Government Code, is   amended by adding Section 531.0165 to read as follows:          Sec. 531.0165.  INTERNET BROADCAST AND ARCHIVE OF OPEN   MEETINGS. (a) In this section, "agency" means the commission or a   health and human services agency.          (b)  Each agency shall:                (1)  broadcast over the Internet live video and audio   of each open meeting of the agency;                (2)  make a video and audio recording of reasonable   quality of the broadcast; and                (3)  provide access to the archived video and audio on   the agency's Internet website.          (c)  Not later than the seventh day after the date an open   meeting is broadcast under this section, the agency shall make   available through the agency's Internet website archived video and   audio of the open meeting. The agency shall maintain the archived   video and audio of the open meeting on the agency's Internet website   for not less than two years after the date the archived video and   audio was first made available on the website.          (d)  Each agency shall provide on the agency's Internet   website the same notice of the open meeting that the agency is   required to post under Subchapter C, Chapter 551. The notice must   be posted on the agency's Internet website within the time required   for posting notice under Subchapter C, Chapter 551.          (e)  Each agency may use for an Internet broadcast of an open   meeting of the agency a room made available to the agency on request   in any state building, as that term is defined by Section 2165.301.          (f)  Each agency is exempt from the requirements of this   section to the extent a catastrophe, as defined by Section   551.0411, or a technical breakdown prevents the agency from   complying with this section. Following the catastrophe or   technical breakdown, the agency shall make all reasonable efforts   to make the required video and audio of the open meeting available   in a timely manner.          (g)  The commission shall consider contracting through   competitive bidding with a private individual or entity to   broadcast and archive an open meeting subject to this section to   minimize the cost of complying with this section.          (h)  The requirements of this section also apply to the   meetings of any advisory body that advises the executive   commissioner or an agency.  The archived video and audio of an   advisory body's meeting must be made available through the Internet   website of the agency to which the advisory body provides advice.          SECTION 3.  Sections 531.0051(g) and (m), Government Code,   are amended to read as follows:          (g)  The council shall comply with the requirements of   Section 531.0165 [give public notice of the date, time, and place of   each meeting held by the council.     A live video transmission of   each meeting must be publicly available through the Internet].  The   archived video and audio of a council meeting must be made available   through the commission's Internet website.          (m)  Except as provided by Section 531.0165(d), Chapters 551   and 2110 do not apply to the council.          SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   an open meeting held on or after September 1, 2023.          SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.     * * * * *