Sec. 551.130. BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS: QUORUM PRESENT AT ONE LOCATION. (a) In this section, "board" means the board of trustees of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

(b) This chapter does not prohibit the board or a board committee from holding an open or closed meeting by telephone conference call.

(c) The board or a board committee may hold a meeting by telephone conference call only if a quorum of the applicable board or board committee is physically present at one location of the meeting.

(d) A telephone conference call meeting is subject to the notice requirements applicable to other meetings. The notice must also specify:

(1) the location of the meeting where a quorum of the board or board committee, as applicable, will be physically present; and

(2) the intent to have a quorum present at that location.

(e) The location where a quorum is physically present must be open to the public during the open portions of a telephone conference call meeting. The open portions of the meeting must be audible to the public at the location where the quorum is present and be recorded at that location. The recording shall be made available to the public.

(f) The location of the meeting shall provide two-way communication during the entire telephone conference call meeting, and the identification of each party to the telephone conference call must be clearly stated before the party speaks.

(g) The authority provided by this section is in addition to the authority provided by Section 551.125.

(h) A member of the board who participates in a board or board committee meeting by telephone conference call but is not physically present at the location of the meeting is not considered to be absent from the meeting for any purpose. The vote of a member of the board who participates in a board or board committee meeting by telephone conference call is counted for the purpose of determining the number of votes cast on a motion or other proposition before the board or board committee.

(i) A member of the board may participate remotely by telephone conference call instead of by being physically present at the location of a board meeting for not more than one board meeting per calendar year. A board member who participates remotely in any portion of a board meeting by telephone conference call is considered to have participated in the entire board meeting by telephone conference call. For purposes of the limit provided by this subsection, remote participation by telephone conference call in a meeting of a board committee does not count as remote participation by telephone conference call in a meeting of the board, even if:

(1) a quorum of the full board attends the board committee meeting; or

(2) notice of the board committee meeting is also posted as notice of a board meeting.

(j) A person who is not a member of the board may speak at the meeting from a remote location by telephone conference call.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 455 (S.B. 1667), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011.

Amended by:

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 471), Sec. 14, eff. May 18, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1078 (H.B. 3357), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013.