88R4263 BEF-F
 
  By: Capriglione H.B. No. 2493
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to maintenance and production of electronic public
  information under the public information law.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 552.002(a-2), Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a-2)  The definition of "public information" provided by
  Subsection (a) applies to and includes:
               (1)  any electronic communication created,
  transmitted, received, or maintained on any device if the
  communication is in connection with the transaction of official
  business; and
               (2)  a data dictionary or other indicia of the type or
  category of information held in the applicable field of a database,
  other than metadata that directly implicates database security.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter E, Chapter 552, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 552.2285 to read as follows:
         Sec. 552.2285.  ELECTRONIC PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a)  In this
  section "electronic public information" means public information
  that is produced and maintained in an electronic spreadsheet or
  database that is searchable or sortable.
         (b)  The use of an electronic recordkeeping system by or for
  a governmental body may not erode the public's right of access to
  public information under this chapter. The contents of electronic
  public information, including information covered by Section
  552.002(a-2), is significant and not merely used as a tool for the
  maintenance, manipulation, or protection of property.
         (c)  If a request for public information applies to
  electronic public information and the requestor requests the
  electronic public information in a searchable or sortable format,
  the person responding to the request shall provide an electronic
  copy of the requested electronic public information in the
  searchable or sortable format requested using computer software the
  person uses in the ordinary course of business to access, support,
  program, manipulate, or otherwise manage the governmental body's
  information.  If the requestor prefers, the person responding to
  the request shall provide a copy of electronic public information
  in the form of a paper printout.
         (d)  A person responding to a request for public information
  may not:
               (1)  refuse to provide a copy of electronic public
  information on the grounds that exporting the information or
  redacting excepted information will require searching, sorting, or
  filtering the information with computer software used by the person
  in the ordinary course of business to access, support, or otherwise
  manage the governmental body's information; or
               (2)  charge the requestor for searching, sorting, or
  filtering the information as provided by Subdivision (1).
         (e)  A requestor may request that a copy of electronic public
  information be provided in the format in which the information is
  maintained by or for the governmental body or in a standard export
  format such as a flat file electronic American Standard Code for
  Information Interchange (ASCII) if the computer programs used by or
  for the governmental body support exporting the information in that
  format.  The person responding to the request shall provide the copy
  in the requested format or in another format acceptable to the
  requestor.  The person responding to the request shall provide the
  copy through an electronic transfer such as electronic mail or an
  electronic drop box if possible, or otherwise on suitable
  electronic media.
         (f)  If electronic public information is maintained in a
  format that is:
               (1)  searchable but not sortable, the person responding
  to the request shall provide an electronic copy of the information
  in a searchable format that complies with this section; or
               (2)  sortable, the person responding to the request
  shall provide an electronic copy of the information in a sortable
  format that complies with this section.
         (g)  Each party to a contract for the creation and
  maintenance of electronic public information by or for a
  governmental body shall use reasonable efforts to ensure the
  contract does not impair the public's ability to inspect or copy the
  information or make the information more difficult for the public
  to inspect or copy than records maintained by the governmental
  body.
         (h)  This section applies to public information for which a
  third party is the custodian for the governmental body.
         (i)  This section does not affect the applicability to
  electronic public information of a confidentiality provision or
  other exception from required disclosure.
         (j)  Subchapter F applies to an electronic copy or paper
  printout of electronic public information.
         SECTION 3.  Section 118.011(e), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (e)  A county clerk who provides a copy in a format other than
  paper of a record maintained by the clerk shall provide the copy and
  charge a fee in accordance with Section [Sections 552.231 and]
  552.262, Government Code.
         SECTION 4.  Section 552.231, Government Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 5.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a request for public information received on or after the effective
  date of this Act.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.