BILL ANALYSIS
By: Wentworth
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Various current statutes, including the Public Information Act, use a variety of terms referencing a day in which a person is generally required to work. This variation in terms can, at times, cause complications to arise in the calculation of certain deadlines.
As proposed, Senate Bill 175 clarifies that the term "business day" is to be used to calculate certain deadlines and makes conforming changes to other sections currently using the term "working day."
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 175 amends the Government Code to specifiy that a requestor is considered to have withdrawn a request for public information if the person has not made a deposit or posted a bond required under Subsection (a) before the 10th business day, rather than 10th day, after the date the deposit or bond is required.
The bill also requires the attorney general to render a decision regarding a public information request within 45 business days, rather than 45 working days, after the date the attorney general received the request. The bill provides that an extension of 10 business days, rather than working days, may be made under certain conditions.
The bill also requires a governmental body to release information to certain persons not later than the 10th business day after receiving a request for such information.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.