Tex. Gov't Code § 551.001 · Subchapter A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
DEFINITIONS.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
In this chapter:
(1) "Closed meeting" means a meeting to which the public does not have access.
(2) "Deliberation" means a verbal or written exchange between a quorum of a governmental body, or between a quorum of a governmental body and another person, concerning an issue within the jurisdiction of the governmental body.
(3) "Governmental body" means:
(A) a board, commission, department, committee, or agency within the executive or legislative branch of state government that is directed by one or more elected or appointed members;
(B) a county commissioners court in the state;
(C) a municipal governing body in the state;
(D) a deliberative body that has rulemaking or quasi-judicial power and that is classified as a department, agency, or political subdivision of a county or municipality;
(E) a school district board of trustees;
(F) a county board of school trustees;
(G) a county board of education;
(H) the governing board of a special district created by law;
(I) a local workforce development board created under Section 2308.253;
(J) a nonprofit corporation that is eligible to receive funds under the federal community services block grant program and that is authorized by this state to serve a geographic area of the state;
(K) a nonprofit corporation organized under Chapter 67, Water Code, that provides a water supply or wastewater service, or both, and is exempt from ad valorem taxation under Section 11.30, Tax Code;
(L) a joint board created under Section 22.074, Transportation Code; and
(M) a board of directors of a reinvestment zone created under Chapter 311, Tax Code.
(4) "Meeting" means:
(A) a deliberation between a quorum of a governmental body, or between a quorum of a governmental body and another person, during which public business or public policy over which the governmental body has supervision or control is discussed or considered or during which the governmental body takes formal action; or
(B) except as otherwise provided by this subdivision, a gathering:
(i) that is conducted by the governmental body or for which the governmental body is responsible;
(ii) at which a quorum of members of the governmental body is present;
(iii) that has been called by the governmental body; and
(iv) at which the members receive information from, give information to, ask questions of, or receive questions from any third person, including an employee of the governmental body, about the public business or public policy over which the governmental body has supervision or control.
The term does not include the gathering of a quorum of a governmental body at a social function unrelated to the public business that is conducted by the body, the attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at a regional, state, or national convention or workshop, ceremonial event, or press conference, or the attendance by a quorum of a governmental body at a candidate forum, appearance, or debate to inform the electorate, if formal action is not taken and any discussion of public business is incidental to the social function, convention, workshop, ceremonial event, press conference, forum, appearance, or debate.
The term includes a session of a governmental body.
(5) "Open" means open to the public.
(6) "Quorum" means a majority of a governmental body, unless defined differently by applicable law or rule or the charter of the governmental body.
(7) "Recording" means a tangible medium on which audio or a combination of audio and video is recorded, including a disc, tape, wire, film, electronic storage drive, or other medium now existing or later developed.
(8) "Videoconference call" means a communication conducted between two or more persons in which one or more of the participants communicate with the other participants through duplex audio and video signals transmitted over a telephone network, a data network, or the Internet.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 18.23, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 647, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 30, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 633, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1004, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 9.012, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 165 (S.B. 1306), Sec. 1, eff. May 22, 2007.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 471), Sec. 1, eff. May 18, 2013.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 685 (H.B. 2414), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 115 (S.B. 679), Sec. 1, eff. May 23, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1236 (S.B. 1296), Sec. 21.001(26), eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 917 (S.B. 1440), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 645 (S.B. 1640), Sec. 1, eff. June 10, 2019.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 361 (S.B. 244), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.551.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 145ff6095bd3679bdc595b387db148661cf6372e96a7a0c45df5bba528bd83f8
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Government Code
Tax Code
Transportation Code
Cited by 7 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Gov't Code § 551.001. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Government Code
- Tex. Gov't Code § 29.014COURT SECURITY COMMITTEE.Printed as Section 551.001 or 552.003
- Tex. Gov't Code § 30.00007PRESIDING JUDGE.Printed as Section 551.001 or 552.003
- Tex. Gov't Code § 74.092DUTIES OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE.Printed as Section 551.001 or 552.003
- Tex. Gov't Code § 551.007PUBLIC TESTIMONY.Printed as Sections 551.001(3)(B)
- Tex. Gov't Code § 551.056ADDITIONAL POSTING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICTS, DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES, AND JOINT BOARDS.Printed as Section 551.001(3)(D)
- Tex. Gov't Code § 551.092STATE GOVERNMENTAL BODIES: DEFENSE, MILITARY, AND AEROSPACE ISSUES; CLOSED MEETING.Printed as Section 551.001(3)(A)
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.