By: Wentworth  S.B. No. 175
         (In the Senate - Filed January 9, 2007; January 29, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  February 27, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 8, Nays 0; February 27, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the calculation of certain deadlines under the public
  information law.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (f), Section 552.263, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (f)  A requestor who fails to make a deposit or post a bond
  required under Subsection (a) before the 10th business day after
  the date the deposit or bond is required is considered to have
  withdrawn the request for the copy of the public information that
  precipitated the requirement of the deposit or bond.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 552.306, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Section 552.011, the attorney
  general shall promptly render a decision requested under this
  subchapter, consistent with the standards of due process,
  determining whether the requested information is within one of the
  exceptions of Subchapter C. The attorney general shall render the
  decision not later than the 45th business [working] day after the
  date the attorney general received the request for a decision. If
  the attorney general is unable to issue the decision within the
  45-day period, the attorney general may extend the period for
  issuing the decision by an additional 10 business [working] days by
  informing the governmental body and the requestor, during the
  original 45-day period, of the reason for the delay.
         SECTION 3.  Subsection (b), Section 552.307, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  If a decision is not requested under Subsection (a), the
  governmental body shall release the information to the person with
  a special right of access under Section 552.023 not later than the
  10th business day after the date of receiving the request for
  information.
         SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act to Sections
  552.263, 552.306, and 552.307, Government Code, apply only in
  relation to a request for public information that is made under
  Chapter 552, Government Code, on or after the effective date of this
  Act.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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