84R26248 BEF-F
 
  By: Hunter H.B. No. 1764
 
  Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1764:
 
  By:  Elkins C.S.H.B. No. 1764
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to public information in the possession, custody, or
  control of a current or former officer or employee of a governmental
  body; creating a criminal offense.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 552.003, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (7) to read as follows:
               (7)  "Temporary custodian" means an officer or employee
  of a governmental body who, in the transaction of official
  business, creates or receives public information that the officer
  or employee has not provided to the officer for public information
  of the governmental body or the officer's agent. The term includes
  a former officer or employee of a governmental body who created or
  received public information in the officer's or employee's official
  capacity that has not been provided to the officer for public
  information of the governmental body or the officer's agent.
         SECTION 2.  Section 552.203, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 552.203.  GENERAL DUTIES OF OFFICER FOR PUBLIC
  INFORMATION. Each officer for public information, subject to
  penalties provided in this chapter, shall:
               (1)  make public information available for public
  inspection and copying;
               (2)  carefully protect public information from
  deterioration, alteration, mutilation, loss, or unlawful removal;
  [and]
               (3)  repair, renovate, or rebind public information as
  necessary to maintain it properly; and
               (4)  make reasonable efforts to obtain public
  information from a temporary custodian if:
                     (A)  the information has been requested from the
  governmental body;
                     (B)  the officer for public information is aware
  of facts sufficient to warrant a reasonable belief that the
  temporary custodian has possession, custody, or control of the
  information;
                     (C)  the officer for public information is unable
  to comply with the duties imposed by this chapter without obtaining
  the information from the temporary custodian; and
                     (D)  the temporary custodian has not provided the
  information to the officer for public information of the
  governmental body or the officer's agent.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter E, Chapter 552, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 552.234 to read as follows:
         Sec. 552.234.  OWNERSHIP OF PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a) A
  current or former officer or employee of a governmental body does
  not have, by virtue of the officer's or employee's position or
  former position, a personal or property right to public information
  the officer or employee created or received while acting in an
  official capacity.
         (b)  A temporary custodian with possession, custody, or
  control of public information shall surrender or return the
  information to the governmental body not later than the 10th day
  after the date the officer for public information of the
  governmental body or the officer's agent requests the temporary
  custodian to surrender or return the information.
         (c)  If a temporary custodian fails to surrender or return
  public information to a governmental body as required by Subsection
  (b), the officer for public information of the governmental body
  shall, not later than the 10th business day after the deadline to
  surrender or return information under Subsection (b), notify the
  attorney general in writing of the facts related to the failure and
  send a copy of the written notice to the requestor. On receipt of
  written notice from an officer for public information as provided
  by this subsection, the attorney general may sue for an injunction
  or writ of mandamus to compel a temporary custodian with
  possession, custody, or control of public information to surrender
  or return the information as required by Subsection (b). A suit
  filed under this subsection:
               (1)  must be filed in a district court for the county in
  which the main offices of the governmental body are located;
               (2)  may not proceed, and process may not be issued,
  until the court enters a written finding that the petition sets
  forth facts sufficient to warrant probable cause that the current
  or former officer or employee against whom the action is filed is in
  possession, custody, or control of public information that has not
  been made available to the governmental body that owns the
  information; and
               (3)  shall be dismissed, with prejudice except as
  provided by Subsection (e), if the current or former officer or
  employee files an answer containing a general denial supported by a
  sworn affidavit stating the current or former officer or employee
  is not in possession, custody, or control of public information
  responsive to the request at issue.
         (d)  The attorney general shall send a copy of a petition
  filed under Subsection (c) to the requestor.
         (e)  A suit dismissed under Subsection (c)(3) is dismissed
  without prejudice and may be refiled by the attorney general if the
  current or former officer or employee, in providing the affidavit
  authorized under Subsection (c)(3), engaged in conduct that is an
  offense under Section 37.02 or 37.03, Penal Code, and is arrested,
  charged, or indicted for that offense. Subsection (c)(3) does not
  apply to a suit refiled under this subsection.
         (f)  For purposes of the application of Subchapter G to
  information surrendered or returned to a governmental body by a
  temporary custodian under Subsection (b) or as a result of a suit
  under Subsection (c), the governmental body is considered to
  receive the request for that information on the date the
  information is surrendered or returned to the governmental body.
         SECTION 4.  The heading to Section 552.353, Government Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 552.353.  FAILURE OR REFUSAL OF OFFICER FOR PUBLIC
  INFORMATION OR TEMPORARY CUSTODIAN TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO OR COPYING
  OF PUBLIC INFORMATION.
         SECTION 5.  Section 552.353, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  A temporary custodian who has possession, custody, or
  control of public information responsive to a request commits an
  offense if, with criminal negligence, the temporary custodian fails
  to surrender or return the information to the governmental body on
  request of the officer for public information or the officer's
  agent, as required by Section 552.234(b).
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.