Texas law on any date › Government Code
Government Code §551.143
In force on Jun 10, 2019 · this text took effect Jun 10, 2019 · same as today's text
PROHIBITED SERIES OF COMMUNICATIONS; OFFENSE; PENALTY
(a) A member of a governmental body commits an offense if the member:
(1) knowingly engages in at least one communication among a series of communications that each occur outside of a meeting authorized by this chapter and that concern an issue within the jurisdiction of the governmental body in which the members engaging in the individual communications constitute fewer than a quorum of members but the members engaging in the series of communications constitute a quorum of members; and
(2) knew at the time the member engaged in the communication that the series of communications:
(A) involved or would involve a quorum; and
(B) would constitute a deliberation once a quorum of members engaged in the series of communications.
(b) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by:
(1) a fine of not less than $100 or more than $500;
(2) confinement in the county jail for not less than one month or more than six months; or
(3) both the fine and confinement.
History: Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 645 (S.B. 1640 ), Sec. 2, eff. June 10, 2019. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 645 (S.B. 1640 ), Sec. 3, eff. June 10, 2019.
Source: the Legislature's file server, seen Dec 11, 2019 to Nov 08, 2026.
Every version on file
- Effective Jun 10, 2019 · seen Dec 2019–Nov 2026
- Effective Sep 01, 1993 · seen Sep 2018–Jul 2019
Attorney General opinions that cite it
- KP-0254 (Apr 24, 2019): Availability of civil remedies for violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act
- GA-0896 (Jun 17, 2011): Whether certain kinds of electronic communication among members of the board of directors of a river authority constitute a violation of the Open Meetings Act, chapter 551 of the Government Code
A research copy. The official text is the Legislature's (statutes), the Secretary of State's (Texas Administrative Code) or eCFR's (federal rules). Not legal advice.