Texas Attorney General Opinion: JC-203 Page: 1 of 5
This text is part of the collection entitled: Texas Attorney General Opinions and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
OFFICE OF THEATTORNEY GENERAL STATE OFTEXAS
JOHN CORNYN
April 4, 2000
The Honorable Michael P. Fleming Opinion No. JC-0203
Harris County Attorney
1019 Congress, 15th Floor Re: Attendance at meetings and speaking
Houston, Texas 77002-1700 engagements by members of the Board of
Managers of the Harris County Hospital District
(RQ-0133-JC)
Dear Mr. Fleming:
You inquire about the circumstances under which a quorum of a standing committee of the
Harris County Hospital District Board of Managers (the "HCHD Board of Managers" or "Board")
may attend as members of the audience speaking engagements and meetings relevant to the hospital
district's public business without violating the Open Meetings Act (the "Act"). See TEX. Gov'T
CODE ANN. ch. 551, 551.001-.146 (Vernon 1994 & Supp. 2000). When a quorum of a standing
committee of the HCHD Board of Managers attends a speaking engagement or meeting conducted
by another entity and participates in a discussion of matters of public business or public policy
within the supervision of that standing committee, it will be subject to the Open Meetings Act. If
the committee participates in a discussion of matters of public business or public policy within the
supervision of the hospital district but not of that particular standing committee, it will not be subject
to the Open Meetings Act.
You inform us that the HCHD Board of Managers has eight standing committees, such as
the Building and Properties Committee, the Clinic Committee, the Fiscal Affairs Committee, the
Joint Conference Committee, and the Personnel Committee. The HCHD Board of Managers has
delegated to each of these committees authority to deliberate and make recommendations in
a particular area of hospital district business. This office concluded in Attorney General Opinion
H-238 (1974) that standing committees composed of members of the HCHD's Board of Managers
must comply with the notice and accessability provisions of the Open Meetings Act, and you state
that committees comply with these requirements. See Brief from Honorable Michael P. Fleming,
Harris County Attorney, to Honorable John Cornyn, Attorney General of Texas, at 1-3
(Oct. 21, 1999) (on file with Opinion Committee) [hereinafter "Brief of 10/21/99"].
All but the Joint Conference Committee are composed entirely of members of the Board, and
six of the standing committees are composed of three members. See id. at 1. The Fiscal Affairs
Committee consists of four members, and the Joint Conference Committee consists of seven
members, three of whom are members of the HCHD Board of Managers. See id. Most Board
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This text can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Text.
Texas. Attorney-General's Office. Texas Attorney General Opinion: JC-203, text, April 4, 2000; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth274512/m1/1/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.