By McClendon H.B. No. 46 77R308 JD-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the availability of governmental information about 1-3 motor vehicle accidents. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 550, Transportation Code, 1-6 is amended by adding Section 550.0651 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 550.0651. RELEASE OF OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO 1-8 ACCIDENTS. (a) This section applies to information, other than an 1-9 accident report covered by Section 550.065, that is held by the 1-10 department or another governmental entity and that relates to a 1-11 motor vehicle accident, including: 1-12 (1) information reported under Chapter 772, Health and 1-13 Safety Code; 1-14 (2) information contained in a dispatch log, a towing 1-15 record, an accident survey, or a record of a 9-1-1 service 1-16 provider; and 1-17 (3) the part of any other record that includes 1-18 information about the date of the accident, the name of any person 1-19 involved in the accident, or the specific location of the accident. 1-20 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the information is 1-21 privileged and only for the confidential use for official purposes 1-22 of: 1-23 (1) the department or the other governmental entity; 1-24 and 2-1 (2) an agency of the United States, this state, or a 2-2 local government of this state. 2-3 (c) On written request and payment of any required fee, 2-4 which may not exceed the greater of $4 or the actual cost of making 2-5 the information available, the department or the other governmental 2-6 entity shall release the information to: 2-7 (1) an entity described by Subsection (b); 2-8 (2) the agency or entity that employs the person who 2-9 prepared or compiled the information; 2-10 (3) the court in which a case involving a person 2-11 involved in the accident is pending, if the information is 2-12 subpoenaed; or 2-13 (4) a person who provides the department or the other 2-14 governmental entity with two or more of the following: 2-15 (A) the date of the accident; 2-16 (B) the name of any person involved in the 2-17 accident; or 2-18 (C) the specific location of the accident. 2-19 (d) The department or the other governmental entity shall 2-20 request information on a written form adopted by the department or 2-21 the other governmental entity to determine whether the person or 2-22 entity requesting the information is entitled to receive the 2-23 information under Subsection (c). 2-24 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.