By Harris                                             S.B. No. 1367
         76R9309 SRC-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to legislative access to information.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 552.264, Government Code, is amended to
 1-5     read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 552.264.  COPY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTED BY MEMBER
 1-7     OF LEGISLATURE.  One copy of public information that is requested
 1-8     from a state agency by a member, agency, or committee of the
 1-9     legislature under Section 552.008 shall be provided without charge.
1-10           SECTION 2.  Chapter 323, Government Code, is amended by
1-11     adding Section 323.019 to read as follows:
1-12           Sec. 323.019.  STATISTICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND
1-13     STUDIES.  (a)  The council may gather and analyze information
1-14     relating to public education and other public services for the
1-15     purpose of conducting statistical and demographic research and
1-16     producing reports.
1-17           (b)  State agencies in each branch of government shall
1-18     cooperate with the council in the gathering of information and the
1-19     production of reports under this section and shall provide
1-20     information as requested by the council to the maximum extent
1-21     permitted by state or federal law.
1-22           SECTION 3.  Section 276.008(a), Election Code, is amended to
1-23     read as follows:
1-24           (a)  On the written request of the Texas Legislative Council,
 2-1     the secretary of state, a county clerk or county elections
 2-2     administrator, a city secretary, or a voter registrar shall provide
 2-3     without charge to the council information or data maintained by the
 2-4     appropriate officer relating to voter registration, voter turnout,
 2-5     election returns for statewide, district, county, precinct, or city
 2-6     offices, or county election precincts, including precinct maps.
 2-7           SECTION 4.  Subchapter A, Chapter 6, Tax Code, is amended by
 2-8     adding Section 6.14 to read as follows:
 2-9           Sec. 6.14.  INFORMATION PROVIDED TO TEXAS LEGISLATIVE
2-10     COUNCIL.  (a)  On the written request of the Texas Legislative
2-11     Council, an appraisal district that maintains its appraisal records
2-12     in electronic format shall provide a copy of the information or
2-13     data maintained in the district's appraisal records to the council
2-14     without charge.
2-15           (b)  The appraisal district shall provide the requested
2-16     information or data to the council as soon as practicable but not
2-17     later than the 30th day after the date the request is received by
2-18     the district.
2-19           (c)  The information or data shall be provided in a form
2-20     approved by the council.
2-21           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-27     passage, and it is so enacted.