|
|
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have been withdrawn under Subsection (d) unless the governmental |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withdrawn under Subsection (d) if: |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. |
|
|
|
* * * * * |