13 Tex. Admin. Code § 2.5 - Advisory Committees; General Requirements
(a) Purpose and scope. This section governs
procedures for the creation and operation of advisory committees, except as
otherwise provided by law or commission rule. The purpose of an advisory
committee is to make recommendations to the commission on programs, rules, and
policies affecting the delivery of information services in the state. An
advisory committee's sole role is to advise the commission. An advisory
committee has no executive or administrative powers or duties with respect to
the operation of the commission, and all such powers and duties rest solely
with the commission.
(b) Creation
and duration of advisory committees. The commission shall create advisory
committees by commission order. An advisory committee is abolished on the
fourth anniversary of the date of its creation unless the commission designates
a different expiration date for an advisory committee or an advisory committee
has a specific duration prescribed by law.
(c) Appointment procedures. The commission
will appoint members to an advisory committee based on advice and input from
the director and librarian. Each advisory committee will elect from its members
a presiding officer, who will report the advisory committee's recommendations
to the commission.
(d) Size and
quorum requirement. An advisory committee must be composed of a reasonable
number of members not to exceed 24. A majority of advisory committee membership
will constitute a quorum. An advisory committee may act only by majority vote
of the members present at the meeting.
(e) Membership terms. Advisory committee
members:
(1) may serve two- or four-year
staggered terms, as ordered by the commission; and
(2) are appointed by and serve at the
pleasure of the commission. If a member resigns, dies, becomes incapacitated,
is removed by the commission, otherwise vacates the position, or becomes
ineligible prior to the end of the member's term, the commission will appoint a
replacement to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
(f) Conditions of membership.
(1) Qualifications. To be eligible to serve
as a member of an advisory committee, a person must have knowledge about and
interests in the specific purpose and tasks of an advisory committee as
established by commission order.
(2) Conflict of interest. Advisory committee
members are subject to the same laws and policies governing ethical standards
of conduct as those for commission members and employees.
(3) Training requirements. Each member of an
advisory committee must complete training regarding the Open Meetings Act,
Chapter 551 of the Government Code, and the Public Information Act, Chapter 552
of the Government Code.
(g) Administrative support. For each advisory
committee, the director and librarian will designate a division of the agency
that will be responsible for providing any necessary administrative support
essential to the functions of the committee.
(h) Meetings.
(1) Meeting requirements. The division
designated for an advisory committee under subsection (g) of this section shall
submit to the Secretary of State notice of a meeting of the advisory committee.
The notice must provide the date, time, place, and subject of the meeting. All
advisory committee meetings shall be open to the public.
(2) Scheduling of meetings. Meeting dates,
times, places, and agendas will be set by the division designated under
subsection (g) of this section.
(3)
Attendance. A record of attendance at each meeting of an advisory committee
will be made. Unless otherwise provided by law, if a member of an advisory
committee misses three consecutive advisory committee meetings, the member
automatically vacates the position and the commission will appoint a new member
to fill the remainder of the unexpired term created by the vacancy.
(i) Record. Agency staff shall
maintain minutes of each advisory committee meeting and distribute copies of
approved minutes and other advisory committee documents to the commission and
advisory committee members.
(j)
Reporting recommendations. The agency shall report an advisory committee's
recommendations to the commission. The presiding officer of an advisory
committee or designee may appear before the commission to present the
committee's recommendations.
(k)
Reimbursement. Members of an advisory committee shall not be reimbursed for
expenses unless reimbursement is authorized by law and approved by the director
and librarian.
(l) Review of
advisory committees. The agency shall monitor the composition and activities of
advisory committees. To enable the commission to evaluate the continuing need
for an advisory committee, the agency shall report on the advisory committee's
work, usefulness, and costs, including the cost of agency staff time spent in
support of the committee's activities, at least annually.
(m) Compliance with the Open Meetings Act. An
advisory committee shall comply with the Open Meetings Act, Government Code,
Chapter 551.
(n) Rules. For each
advisory committee appointed, the commission shall adopt rules that address the
purpose of the advisory committee. The rules may address additional items,
including membership qualifications, terms of service, operating procedures,
and other standards to ensure the effectiveness of an advisory committee
appointed under this subchapter.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.