1-1     By:  Harris                                           S.B. No. 1367
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1999; March 15, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Administration;
 1-4     March 24, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 24, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to legislative access to information.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Section 552.264, Government Code, is amended to
1-11     read as follows:
1-12           Sec. 552.264.  COPY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTED BY MEMBER
1-13     OF LEGISLATURE.  One copy of public information that is requested
1-14     from a state agency by a member, agency, or committee of the
1-15     legislature under Section 552.008 shall be provided without charge.
1-16           SECTION 2.  Chapter 323, Government Code, is amended by
1-17     adding Section 323.019 to read as follows:
1-18           Sec. 323.019.  STATISTICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND
1-19     STUDIES.  (a)  The council may gather and analyze information
1-20     relating to public education and other public services for the
1-21     purpose of conducting statistical and demographic research and
1-22     producing reports.
1-23           (b)  State agencies in each branch of government shall
1-24     cooperate with the council in the gathering of information and the
1-25     production of reports under this section and shall provide
1-26     information as requested by the council to the maximum extent
1-27     permitted by state or federal law.
1-28           SECTION 3.  Subsection (a), Section 276.008, Election Code,
1-29     is amended to read as follows:
1-30           (a)  On the written request of the Texas Legislative Council,
1-31     the secretary of state, a county clerk or county elections
1-32     administrator, a city secretary, or a voter registrar shall provide
1-33     without charge to the council information or data maintained by the
1-34     appropriate officer relating to voter registration, voter turnout,
1-35     election returns for statewide, district, county, precinct, or city
1-36     offices, or county election precincts, including precinct maps.
1-37           SECTION 4.  Subchapter A, Chapter 6, Tax Code, is amended by
1-38     adding Section 6.14 to read as follows:
1-39           Sec. 6.14.  INFORMATION PROVIDED TO TEXAS LEGISLATIVE
1-40     COUNCIL.  (a)  On the written request of the Texas Legislative
1-41     Council, an appraisal district that maintains its appraisal records
1-42     in electronic format shall provide a copy of the information or
1-43     data maintained in the district's appraisal records to the council
1-44     without charge.
1-45           (b)  The appraisal district shall provide the requested
1-46     information or data to the council as soon as practicable but not
1-47     later than the 30th day after the date the request is received by
1-48     the district.
1-49           (c)  The information or data shall be provided in a form
1-50     approved by the council.
1-51           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-52     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-53     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-54     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-55     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-56     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-57     passage, and it is so enacted.
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