SRC-ARR S.B. 279 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 279
76R649 JD-DBy: Carona
State Affairs
3/3/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law authorizes the General Services Commission to
determine a charge schedule for governmental bodies responding to open
records requests. While this charge schedule is provided to allow
governmental bodies to recover the costs of responding to private requests,
some governmental bodies choose to use this charge schedule to require
payment from other governmental bodies requesting information. S.B. 279
would require a governmental body to provide without charge a copy of
public information requested by another governmental body for an official
purpose.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 279 requires a governmental body to provide without
charge one copy of  public information requested for an official purpose by
another governmental body under the open records law. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 552.267, Governmental Code, to require a
governmental body to provide without charge one copy of public information
that is requested for an official purpose by another governmental body.  

SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
                      Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.