Open Meetings Act Basic Training: Jennie Hoelscher, Office of Attorney General

Texas Government Code section 551.005 imposes a mandatory educational requirement on members of a governmental body subject to the Open Meetings Act.  The training requirement applies to all elected or appointed officials who participate in meetings subject to the Act, but it does not apply to public officials who do not conduct business in meetings subject to the Act, including, for example, law enforcement officials, auditors, or county clerks.  These types of officials are not statutorily required to complete training under the Open Meetings Act.

The law requires that those members subject to the Act complete training within 90 days of taking the oath of office or otherwise assuming the responsibilities of office, and the training must include information regarding:

1. The general background of the legal requirements for open meetings;
2. The applicability of the Open Meetings Act to governmental bodies;
3. Procedures and requirements regarding quorums, notice, and recordkeeping under the Act;
4. Procedures and requirements for holding an open meeting and for holding a closed meeting under the Act; and
5. Penalties and other consequences for failure to comply with the Act.

The Office of the Attorney General’s training video includes information on each of these elements and satisfies the requirements imposed by section 551.005