[ga] Digital signature and other Internet related laws adopted in Texas

[Weisberg <weisberg@texoma.net>]

FYI, Texas has just enacted several pieces of legislation relating
to use of the Internet
<ftp://ftp2.capitol.state.tx.us/pub/lis/76r/legrpts/govsign.htm>.

SB 916      Notice of State meetings on Internet
 1-6           (a)  The secretary of state must post notice on the
Internet
 1-7     of a meeting of a state board, commission, department, or
officer
 1-8     having statewide jurisdiction for at least seven days
before the
 1-9     day of the meeting.

SB 1058      Digital signature
287-21         Sec. 2A.110. DIGITAL SIGNATURE.  (a)  A written
electronic
287-22   communication sent from within or received in this state in

287-23   connection with a transaction governed by this chapter is
287-24   considered signed if a digital signature is transmitted
with the
287-25   communication.
287-26         (b)  This section does not preclude any symbol from
being
 288-1   valid as a signature under other applicable law, including
Section
 288-2   1.201(39).
 288-3         (c)  The use of a digital signature under this
section is
 288-4   subject to criminal laws pertaining to fraud and computer
crimes,
 288-5   including Chapters 32 and 33, Penal Code.
 288-6         (d)  In this section "digital signature" means an
electronic
 288-7   identifier intended by the person using it to have the same
force
 288-8   and effect as the use of a manual signature.


SB 1252   Broadcast of open meetings  may be over the Internet...
1-3           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code

 1-5           Sec. 551.128.  INTERNET BROADCAST OF OPEN MEETING.
...
 1-9           (b)  Subject to the requirements of this section, a
1-10     governmental body may broadcast an open meeting over the
Internet.
...
1-20                SUBCHAPTER F.  MEETINGS USING [BY] TELEPHONE,
1-21          [CONFERENCE CALL OR] VIDEOCONFERENCE, OR INTERNET
[CALL]
1-22           SECTION 3.  (a)  The Department of Information
Resources
1-23     shall form a task force to determine whether:
1-24                 (1)  a governmental body can:
 2-1                       (A)  receive real-time testimony from a
person
 2-2     watching the broadcast of a meeting of the governmental
body over
 2-3     the Internet; and
 2-4                       (B)  provide a way for the public to
comment to
 2-5     the governmental body over the Internet on the issues
discussed at
 2-6     the meeting; and
 2-7                 (2)  the audio and video signals broadcast over
the
 2-8     Internet can be of sufficient quality so that members of
the public
 2-9     watching the broadcast of the meeting can observe the
demeanor and
2-10     hear the voice of each participant in the open portion of
the
2-11     meeting.


HB 2611:   Reports of political contributions and expenses to be
filed electronically

Also of interest:
HB 156:     Applies the open meetings law to certain gatherings at
which a governmental body receives information from third persons,
including government employees (i.e. staff reports) even if the body
does not deliberate.