Texas Governor Suspends Open Meetings Laws Due To Coronavirus

AUSTIN, TX — The Texas governor on Monday approved a request by the attorney general to temporarily suspend open meetings laws, citing the threat of new coronavirus as justification for the move.

In a press advisory, Gov. Greg Abbott said the move would be taken on a "limited" basis. He explained the need for the open meetings laws suspension was to enable government bodies to conduct meetings by telephone or video conference "...to advance the public health goal of limiting face-to-face meetings" as a tactic of so-called social distancing recommended by health officials to curb potential illness spread.

Notwithstanding the move, Abbott assured government transparency: "Importantly, however, this action does not suspend requirements that governmental bodies conduct meetings in a transparent and accessible manner," a prepared statement from his office read.

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Specifically, the governor said, governmental bodies are still be required to do the following:

• provide online written notice containing a public toll-free dial-in number or a free-of-charge videoconference link, as well as an electronic copy of any agenda packet, before conducting telephonic or video conference meetings;
• provide the public with access and a means to participate in those meetings, preferably through two-way audio or video connections; and
• provide the public with access to a recording of those meetings.

Click here for a complete list of the open meeting provisions that have been temporarily suspended.

State agencies and local governmental bodies may contact the Office of the Attorney General with questions about the suspension order by telephone at (888) 672-6787 or via email at TOMA@oag.texas.gov. Officials with questions about teleconference and videoconference capabilities offered by the Texas Department of Information Resources should visit dir.texas.gov or call (512) 475-4700.

For information on the spread or treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19), visit the Texas Department of State Health Services.