Cities, counties and school district boards across Texas are required to provide more notice for public meetings under a new state law aimed at increasing public participation in government affairs.

What you need to know

Local government agencies must post meeting notices at least three business days in advance of the meeting, meaning weekends and holidays do not count toward the minimum posting period.

House Bill 1522, which became law Sept. 1, increases the notice requirement from 72 hours. Bill sponsor Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, said government boards sometimes posted meeting agendas “on a Friday afternoon for a Monday meeting” under the 72-hour rule, which she said resulted in “lower levels of public participation and engagement in local government.”

The law change is part of “an effort to promote government transparency and citizen participation,” Kolkhorst said during a May 13 legislative hearing.


Ahead of meetings in which a local budget will be discussed or voted on, the law states that government officials must post copies of the proposed budget online. If a budget is adopted, the meeting notice must also include a taxpayer impact statement comparing the average homeowner’s tax bill in the current fiscal year with an estimate for the upcoming fiscal year.

The new rules seek to give residents more time to review meeting agendas and participate in local government meetings, lawmakers said.

State government code includes an exception to the three-day posting rule for emergency meetings to respond to “an imminent threat to public health and safety,” such as a natural disaster, power failure, epidemic or civil disturbance.

The local impact


Some city and county governments across Community Impact’s coverage areas are changing their meeting schedules to comply with the new law, including:“The requirement is Wednesday, so agendas will be out to the public on Wednesday of the [meeting] week,” Bastrop city council member Kerry Fossler said during an Aug. 26 meeting. “I just want the people to know because those are some pretty significant changes.”

Other local government bodies, including the city of McKinney, are maintaining their existing meeting dates and posting agendas earlier under HB 1522. The new law does not dictate when local governments hold meetings, as long as they meet the three-day posting requirement.