HB 849: bill letting county park boards meet by videoconference

Caption

relating to the authority of a county board of park commissioners to hold a meeting by videoconference call.

Summary

The presiding member still has to show up in public.

The bill adds county boards of park commissioners to the short list of public bodies that may hold meetings by videoconference as long as the member presiding is physically present at a location open to the public. It touches county park boards and the residents who attend or watch their meetings. On the ground, a county park board can meet with other members joining by video, while the presiding member must still sit at a public location during the open parts of the meeting.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 1, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB849 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Cody VasutRHouse 25

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the authority of a county board of park commissioners to hold a meeting by videoconference call.

WHAT IT DOES

The presiding member still has to show up in public.

The bill adds county boards of park commissioners to the short list of public bodies that may hold meetings by videoconference as long as the member presiding is physically present at a location open to the public. It touches county park boards and the residents who attend or watch their meetings. On the ground, a county park board can meet with other members joining by video, while the presiding member must still sit at a public location during the open parts of the meeting.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 13, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 5, 2025Read first time
Mar 5, 2025Referred to s/c on County & Regional Government by Speaker
Mar 17, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Mar 17, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Mar 17, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Mar 17, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 7, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 7, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 7, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 23, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 23, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 25, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 28, 2025Considered in Calendars
Apr 30, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 30, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 30, 2025Passed to engrossment
Apr 30, 2025Record vote RV#1093
Apr 30, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 1, 2025Read 3rd time
May 1, 2025Passed
May 1, 2025Record vote RV#1134
May 1, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 1, 2025Reported engrossed
May 5, 2025Received from the House

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 138 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 1, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Cody Vasut

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$13K Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC$11K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash: $40,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $40,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 7, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101005740, 101033392, 101072869.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$12,750.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$12,750.00

Cash: $12,500.00
Paid by others: $250.00
Total: $12,750.00

advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981647, 101005740, 101062767, 101072869.

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC$11,000.00

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC

$11,000.00

Cash: $11,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $11,000.00

Also funds 65 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Jun 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981647, 101033392, 101062767.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash: $40,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $40,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 7, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101005740, 101033392, 101072869.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$12,750.00

Cash: $12,500.00
Paid by others: $250.00
Total: $12,750.00

advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981647, 101005740, 101062767, 101072869.

×

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC

$11,000.00

Cash: $11,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $11,000.00

Also funds 65 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Jun 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981647, 101033392, 101062767.

Votes2

House May 1, 2025

Yea: 138
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 4
Excused: 7

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 1134

HB 849 was passed by (Record 1134): 138 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 138 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
Excused: 7 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 30, 2025

Yea: 144
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 0
Excused: 4

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 1093

HB 849 was passed to engrossment by (Record 1093): 144 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 144 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses1

For: 1
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

Conference of Urban Counties1 registration

Sources

1 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 13, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/05/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

House committee · Intergovernmental Affairs · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

County Government--Employees/Officers

Open Meetings

VIDEOCONFERENCING

Text

The text as introduced · 210 words

89R2738 TJB-D

By: Vasut
H.B. No. 849

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of a county board of park commissioners to

hold a meeting by videoconference call.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 551.127(c), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(c) This subsection applies only to a [ A ] meeting of a state

governmental body , [ or ] a governmental body that extends into three

or more counties , or a county board of park commissioners. A

meeting may be held by videoconference call only if the member of

the governmental body presiding over the meeting is physically

present at one location of the meeting that is open to the public

during the open portions of the meeting.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC

House May 1, 2025

House Apr 30, 2025

For