84R9638 DDT-D
 
  By: Burkett H.B. No. 2134
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to allowing a governmental body to request clarification
  of a request for public information by electronic mail.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 552.222, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (f) and adding Subsection (g) to read as
  follows:
         (f)  Except as provided by Subsection (g), if [If] the
  requestor's request for public information included the requestor's
  physical or mailing address, the request may not be considered to
  have been withdrawn under Subsection (d) unless the governmental
  body, officer for public information, or agent, as applicable,
  sends the request for clarification or discussion under Subsection
  (b) or the written request for additional information under
  Subsection (c) to that address by certified mail.
         (g)  If the requestor's request for public information was
  sent by electronic mail, the request may be considered to have been
  withdrawn under Subsection (d) if:
               (1)  the governmental body, officer for public
  information, or agent, as applicable, sends the request for
  clarification or discussion under Subsection (b) or the written
  request for additional information under Subsection (c) by
  electronic mail to the same electronic mail address from which the
  original request was sent or to another electronic mail address
  provided by the requestor; and
               (2)  the governmental body, officer for public
  information, or agent, as applicable, does not receive from the
  requestor a written response or response by electronic mail within
  the period described by Subsection (d).
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a request for information that is received by a governmental
  body, an officer for public information, or an agent 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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.