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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a public information Internet |
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website. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 5, Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Chapter 561 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 561. PUBLIC INFORMATION INTERNET WEBSITE |
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Sec. 561.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Governmental entity" means: |
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(A) a state agency in the executive, legislative, |
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or judicial branch of state government, including an institution of |
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higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; or |
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(B) a political subdivision of this state. |
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(2) "Public information" means a public or legal |
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notice that a governmental entity is required to publish under a |
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statute or rule and any other information that a governmental |
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entity submits for publication on the public information Internet |
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website. |
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(3) "Public information Internet website" means the |
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official state Internet website developed and maintained by the |
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comptroller under this chapter. |
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Sec. 561.002. PUBLIC INFORMATION INTERNET WEBSITE. (a) |
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The comptroller shall develop and maintain an Internet website of |
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public information, including archived public information. |
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(b) The public information Internet website must be |
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designed to: |
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(1) allow a governmental entity to easily post public |
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information or the comptroller to post public information on |
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receipt of the information from the entity; |
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(2) allow the public to search and sort the public |
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information on the Internet website by: |
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(A) a specific municipality or county; |
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(B) a governmental entity name; |
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(C) the type of governmental entity; |
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(D) the date the public information is submitted; |
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(E) the date an event or deadline stated in the |
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public information occurred; and |
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(F) any additional criteria approved by the |
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comptroller; |
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(3) allow the public to search and view archived |
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public information posted on the Internet website; |
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(4) allow a person to subscribe to e-mail notices of |
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public information associated with a specific governmental entity; |
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(5) be easily accessible by the public 24 hours a day, |
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7 days a week, through the Texas.gov Internet website that includes |
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a direct link to the public information Internet website; |
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(6) have a unique and easy to remember Internet |
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website address; and |
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(7) have adequate systems for protection, backup, and |
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contingency planning to address power outages, systematic |
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failures, and electronic security. |
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(c) The comptroller shall develop a process for a |
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governmental entity to access the public information Internet |
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website to post public information or modify information previously |
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posted by the entity or to submit the information or modified |
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information to the comptroller for posting on the Internet website. |
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Sec. 561.003. REQUIRED SUBMISSION OF PUBLIC INFORMATION. |
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Each governmental entity: |
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(1) shall submit for inclusion on the public |
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information Internet website any public or legal notice the entity |
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is required to publish under statute or rule; and |
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(2) may submit any other public information the entity |
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elects to submit. |
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Sec. 561.004. PUBLIC INFORMATION INTERNET WEBSITE DOES NOT |
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SATISFY PUBLICATION REQUIREMENT. A governmental entity's |
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submission of public information to the public information Internet |
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website does not satisfy a publication requirement under other law. |
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Submission of public information to the Internet website shall be |
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made in addition to any other publication requirement. |
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Sec. 561.005. IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY OR PENALTY. A |
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governmental entity that in good faith attempts to submit public |
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information to the public information Internet website and that |
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satisfies the publication requirements for that information under |
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other law is not subject to liability or other penalty for a failure |
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in posting the public information to the public information |
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Internet website or in delivery of an e-mail notice of the posted |
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public information. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, but not later than September 1, 2018: |
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(1) the comptroller of public accounts shall develop |
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the public information Internet website as required by Chapter 561, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act; and |
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(2) each governmental entity in this state shall begin |
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submitting public information to the public information Internet |
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website in the format and manner required by the comptroller and |
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Chapter 561, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |