1-1 By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 1079 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 1999; March 11, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 April 26, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 26, 1999, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1079 By: Shapleigh 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the duties of the office of the attorney general with 1-11 regard to the public information law. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 552, Government Code, is 1-14 amended by adding Section 552.009 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 552.009. TOLL-FREE NUMBER; ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. 1-16 The attorney general shall provide a statewide toll-free number by 1-17 which members of the public may contact the open records division 1-18 of the office of the attorney general. Each governmental body 1-19 shall post the number at the place that the governmental body is 1-20 required to post a notice of a meeting under Chapter 551. A 1-21 governmental body that is not subject to Chapter 551 shall post the 1-22 number at a place convenient to the public in or by the 1-23 administrative offices of the governmental body. A governmental 1-24 body shall post with the toll-free number a brief description, to 1-25 be prescribed by the attorney general, of the division's function. 1-26 SECTION 2. Section 552.321, Government Code, is amended to 1-27 read as follows: 1-28 Sec. 552.321. SUIT FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS. A requestor or the 1-29 attorney general may file suit for a writ of mandamus compelling a 1-30 governmental body to make information available for public 1-31 inspection if the governmental body refuses to request an attorney 1-32 general's decision as provided by Subchapter G or refuses to 1-33 supply public information that is not excepted from required 1-34 disclosure or information that the attorney general has determined 1-35 is public information that is not excepted from required 1-36 disclosure. 1-37 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-38 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-39 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-40 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-41 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-42 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-43 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-44 * * * * *