Sec. 551.0411. MEETING NOTICE REQUIREMENTS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES

(a) Section 551.041 does not require a governmental body that recesses an open meeting to the following regular business day to post notice of the continued meeting if the action is taken in good faith and not to circumvent this chapter. If an open meeting is continued to the following regular business day and, on that following day, the governmental body continues the meeting to another day, the governmental body must give written notice as required by this subchapter of the meeting continued to that other day.

(b) A governmental body that is prevented from convening an open meeting that was otherwise properly posted under Section 551.041 because of a catastrophe may convene the meeting in a convenient location within 72 hours pursuant to Section 551.045 if the action is taken in good faith and not to circumvent this chapter. If the governmental body is unable to convene the open meeting within those 72 hours, the governmental body may subsequently convene the meeting only if the governmental body gives written notice of the meeting as required by this subchapter.

(c) In this section, "catastrophe" means a condition or occurrence that interferes physically with the ability of a governmental body to conduct a meeting, including:

(1) fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, or wind, rain, or snow storm;

(2) power failure, transportation failure, or interruption of communication facilities;

(3) epidemic; or

(4) riot, civil disturbance, enemy attack, or other actual or threatened act of lawlessness or violence.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 325 , Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005.