Open government awareness during coronavirus emergency

By Kelley Shannon
Executive Director
Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas

The coronavirus emergency is creating trying times for public officials and citizens when it comes to open government. But transparency and the public’s right to know are vitally important during a disaster. We need more information flowing now, not less.

Here are reminders and resources for complying with Texas transparency laws during the COVID-19 outbreak:

Gov. Greg Abbott has suspended one portion of the Texas Open Meetings Act dealing with public gatherings during a videoconference or telephone meeting of a public body, but all other aspects of the law remain in force. The public still must have sufficient notice of and access to a governmental body’s public meeting, even a virtual meeting.

The governor’s waiver, initially issued March 16, is effective only during the COVID-19 emergency period. It removes the requirement to provide a physical gathering space for the public to watch or listen to the meeting; however, the public must be given the ability to watch or listen to the meeting remotely and interact during public comment periods. The waiver also means a quorum of the governing body doesn’t have to be physically present in one place.

We at the FOI Foundation are noticing some confusion among public officials about how to comply with the Open Meetings Act during a virtual meeting. To answer questions, the Texas Attorney General’s Office has established an open meetings hotline at 1-888-672-6787 and this email: [email protected]. We encourage public officials to use these resources.

Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Information Resources has issued this guide to help governments with technology issues as they comply with the Open Meetings Act.

The public should also be aware that many governmental bodies, as allowed by a law that took effect in 2019, are sending “catastrophe notices” to the Texas Attorney General’s Office to suspend requirements of the Texas Public Information Act for a seven-day period if they are affected by a catastrophe. Texas governments of all sizes are currently sending notices, which must be published on the attorney general’s website. A government can also file an extension notice for another seven-day period. Here’s the link where you can see the notices: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/open-government/governmental-bodies/catastrophe-notice/submitted-catastrophe-notices

The Attorney General’s Office also has issued a reminder about how to calculate business days when responding to a Texas Public Information Act request. These business day calculation rules were in place before the COVID-19 emergency.