Some governmental bodies may broadcast open meetings online, but certain larger listed bodies must record covered meetings, post archived copies online, and keep them available for at least two years.
Sec. 551.128. INTERNET BROADCAST OF OPEN MEETING. (a) In this section, "Internet" means the largest nonproprietary cooperative public computer network, popularly known as the Internet. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1) and subject to the requirements of this section, a governmental body may broadcast an open meeting over the Internet. (b-1) A transit authority or department subject to Chapter 451, 452, 453, or 460, Transportation Code, an elected school district board of trustees for a school district that has a student enrollment of 10,000 or more, an elected governing body of a home-rule municipality that has a population of 50,000 or more, or a county commissioners court for a county that has a population of 125,000 or more shall: (1) make a video and audio recording of reasonable quality of each: (A) regularly scheduled open meeting that is not a work session or a special called meeting; and (B) open meeting that is a work session or special called meeting if: (i) the governmental body is an elected school district board of trustees for a school district that has a student enrollment of 10,000 or more; and (ii) at the work session or special called meeting, the board of trustees votes on any matter or allows public comment or testimony; and (2) make available an archived copy of the video and audio recording of each meeting described by Subdivision (1) on the Internet. (b-2) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) may make available the archived recording of a meeting required by Subsection (b-1) on an existing Internet site, including a publicly accessible video-sharing or social networking site. The governmental body is not required to establish a separate Internet site and provide access to archived recordings of meetings from that site. (b-3) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) that maintains an Internet site shall make available on that site, in a conspicuous manner: (1) the archived recording of each meeting to which Subsection (b-1) applies; or (2) an accessible link to the archived recording of each such meeting. (b-4) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) shall: (1) make the archived recording of each meeting to which Subsection (b-1) applies available on the Internet not later than seven days after the date the recording was made; and (2) maintain the archived recording on the Internet for not less than two years after the date the recording was first made available. (b-5) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) is exempt from the requirements of Subsections (b-2) and (b-4) if the governmental body's failure to make the required recording of a meeting available is the result of a catastrophe, as defined by Section 551.0411, or a technical breakdown. Following a catastrophe or breakdown, a governmental body must make all reasonable efforts to make the required recording available in a timely manner. (b-6) A governmental body described by Subsection (b-1) may broadcast a regularly scheduled open meeting of the body on television. (c) Except as provided by Subsection (b-2), a governmental body that broadcasts a meeting over the Internet shall establish an Internet site and provide access to the broadcast from that site. The governmental body shall provide on the Internet site the same notice of the meeting that the governmental body is required to post under Subchapter C. The notice on the Internet must be posted within the time required for posting notice under Subchapter C. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 100, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 681 (H.B. 283), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2016. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1147 (H.B. 523), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.