By: Sheets (Senate Sponsor - Hancock) H.B. No. 685

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 13, 2015; April 30, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; May 18, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 18, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 685 By: Huffines

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the production of public information under the public information law.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 552.221, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows:

(b-1) In addition to the methods of production described by Subsection (b), an officer for public information for a political subdivision of this state complies with Subsection (a) by referring a requestor to an exact Internet location or uniform resource locator (URL) address on a website maintained by the political subdivision and accessible to the public if the requested information is identifiable and readily available on that website. If the person requesting the information prefers a manner other than access through the URL, the political subdivision, notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, must supply the information by:

(1) providing the public information for inspection or duplication in the offices of the governmental body; or

(2) sending printed copies of the public information by first class United States mail if the person requesting the information requests that copies be provided and pays the postage and any other applicable charges that the requestor has accrued under Subchapter F.

(b-2) If an officer for public information for a political subdivision provides by e-mail an Internet location or uniform resource locator (URL) address as permitted by Subsection (b-1), the e-mail must contain a statement in a conspicuous font clearly indicating that the requestor may nonetheless access the requested information by inspection or duplication or by receipt through United States mail, as provided by Subsection (b-1).

SECTION 2. Section 182.052, Utilities Code, is amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

(e) A governmental body as defined by Section 552.003, Government Code, may withhold information prohibited from being disclosed under this section without the necessity of requesting a decision from the attorney general under Subchapter G, Chapter 552, Government Code.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a request for information that is received by a governmental body or an officer for public information on or after the effective date of this Act. A request for information that was received before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the request was received, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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