By:  Harris                                           S.B. No. 1367
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to legislative access to information.
 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-3           SECTION 1.  Section 552.264, Government Code, is amended to
 1-4     read as follows:
 1-5           Sec. 552.264.  COPY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTED BY MEMBER
 1-6     OF LEGISLATURE.  One copy of public information that is requested
 1-7     from a state agency by a member, agency, or committee of the
 1-8     legislature under Section 552.008 shall be provided without charge.
 1-9           SECTION 2.  Chapter 323, Government Code, is amended by
1-10     adding Section 323.019 to read as follows:
1-11           Sec. 323.019.  STATISTICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND
1-12     STUDIES.  (a)  The council may gather and analyze information
1-13     relating to public education and other public services for the
1-14     purpose of conducting statistical and demographic research and
1-15     producing reports.
1-16           (b)  State agencies in each branch of government shall
1-17     cooperate with the council in the gathering of information and the
1-18     production of reports under this section and shall provide
1-19     information as requested by the council to the maximum extent
1-20     permitted by state or federal law.
1-21           SECTION 3.  Subsection (a), Section 276.008, Election Code,
1-22     is amended to read as follows:
1-23           (a)  On the written request of the Texas Legislative Council,
1-24     the secretary of state, a county clerk or county elections
 2-1     administrator, a city secretary, or a voter registrar shall provide
 2-2     without charge to the council information or data maintained by the
 2-3     appropriate officer relating to voter registration, voter turnout,
 2-4     election returns for statewide, district, county, precinct, or city
 2-5     offices, or county election precincts, including precinct maps.
 2-6           SECTION 4.  Subchapter A, Chapter 6, Tax Code, is amended by
 2-7     adding Section 6.14 to read as follows:
 2-8           Sec. 6.14.  INFORMATION PROVIDED TO TEXAS LEGISLATIVE
 2-9     COUNCIL.  (a)  On the written request of the Texas Legislative
2-10     Council, an appraisal district that maintains its appraisal records
2-11     in electronic format shall provide a copy of the information or
2-12     data maintained in the district's appraisal records to the council
2-13     without charge.
2-14           (b)  The appraisal district shall provide the requested
2-15     information or data to the council as soon as practicable but not
2-16     later than the 30th day after the date the request is received by
2-17     the district.
2-18           (c)  The information or data shall be provided in a form
2-19     approved by the council.
2-20           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-25     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-26     passage, and it is so enacted.