Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 22:14:12 -0600 (CST) From: David Smith Subject: TX HB 1249, Electronic Availability of Legislative Info Via Internet (fwd) To: eff-austin@zilker.net Here is the text of TX HB 1249, which apparently provides legal foundations to decisions already made about making information available via the Net. More analysis as it comes forth. thanks, | "The most exciting breakthroughs of the 21st century | will not occur because of technology but because David Smith | of an expanding concept of what it means to be human." bladex@bga.com | -- John Naisbitt / Patricia Aburdene ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 15:54:39 CST From: Mary Shearer To: Multiple recipients of list TXDXN-L Subject: TX HB 1249, Electronic Availability of Legislative Info Via Internet ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Downloaded from Texas Legislative Gopher on 2/16/95. URL gopher://capitol.tlc.texas.gov/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ By Danburg H.B. No. 1249 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the electronic availability of legislative information through the Internet. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter 323, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 323.0145 to read as follows: ///Sec. 323.0145. ELECTRONIC AVAILABILITY OF LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION THROUGH THE INTERNET. (a) In this section:\\\ ///(1) "Internet" means the largest nonproprietary nonprofit cooperative public computer network, popularly known as the Internet.\\\ ///(2) "Legislative information" means:\\\ ///(A) a list of all the members of each house of the legislature;\\\ ///(B) a list of the committees of the legislature and their members;\\\ ///(C) the full text of each bill as filed and as subsequently amended, substituted, engrossed, or enrolled in either house of the legislature;\\\ ///(D) the full text of each amendment or substitute adopted by a legislative committee for each bill filed in either house of the legislature;\\\ ///(E) the calendar of each house of the legislature, the schedule of legislative committee hearings, and a list of the matters pending on the floor of each house of the legislature;\\\ ///(F) detailed procedural information about how a bill filed in either house of the legislature becomes law, including detailed timetable information concerning the times under the constitution or the rules of either house when the legislature may take certain actions on a bill;\\\ ///(G) the district boundaries or other identifying information for the following districts in Texas:\\\ ///(i) house of representatives;\\\ ///(ii) senate;\\\ ///(iii) State Board of Education; and\\\ ///(iv) United States Congress; and\\\ ///(H) other information related to the legislative process that in the council's opinion should be made available through the Internet.\\\ ///(b) The council, to the extent it considers it to be feasible and appropriate, may make legislative information available to the public through the Internet.\\\ ///(c) The council may make available to the public through the Internet any documentation that describes the electronic digital formats of legislative information.\\\ ///(d) The access to legislative information allowed by this section:\\\ ///(1) is in addition to the public's access to the information through other electronic or print distribution of the information;\\\ ///(2) does not alter, diminish, or relinquish any copyright or other proprietary interest or entitlement of the State of Texas or a private entity under contract with the state; and\\\ ///(3) does not affect Section 323.014.\\\ SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an emergency and an imperative public necessity that the constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. -------------end of bill text------------------------------------------------- *********************** BILL NUMBER: HB 1249 AUTHOR: Danburg SPONSOR: COAUTHORS: COSPONSORS: LAST ACTION: 02/15/95 H Referred to State Affairs CAPTION: Relating to the electronic availability of legislative information through the Internet. HOUSE COMM: State Affairs SENATE COMM: