88R10757 JON-F
 
  By: Smithee H.B. No. 2874
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the assessment of litigation costs and attorney fees in
  certain lawsuits under the public information law.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 552.323, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 552.323.  ASSESSMENT OF COSTS OF LITIGATION AND
  REASONABLE ATTORNEY FEES. (a) Except as provided by Subsections
  (b) and (c), in [In] an action brought under Section 552.321, [or]
  552.3215, 552.324, or 552.325, the court shall assess costs of
  litigation and reasonable attorney fees incurred by a plaintiff or
  intervening requestor:
               (1)  who substantially prevails; or
               (2)  to whom a governmental body voluntarily releases
  the requested information, unless before suit is filed:
                     (A)  the body releases the information; or
                     (B)  the body certifies a date and hour within a
  reasonable time when the information will be available for
  inspection or duplication.
         (b)  The [, except that the] court may not assess [those]
  costs or [and] fees against a governmental body under Subsection
  (a) if the court finds that the governmental body acted in
  reasonable reliance on:
               (1)  a judgment or an order of a court applicable to the
  governmental body;
               (2)  the published opinion of an appellate court; or
               (3)  a written decision of the attorney general,
  including a decision issued under Subchapter G or an opinion issued
  under Section 402.042.
         (c)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), in an action brought
  under Section 552.325 by a person or entity other than a
  governmental body or officer for public information, the court
  shall assess costs of litigation and reasonable attorney fees
  incurred by an intervening requestor if the intervening requestor
  substantially prevails.
         [(b)  In an action brought under Section 552.324, the court
  may not assess costs of litigation or reasonable attorney's fees
  incurred by a plaintiff or defendant who substantially prevails
  unless the court finds the action or the defense of the action was
  groundless in fact or law. In exercising its discretion under this
  subsection, the court shall consider whether the conduct of the
  governmental body had a reasonable basis in law and whether the
  litigation was brought in good faith.]
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a request for public information received by a governmental body or
  officer for public information on or after the effective date of
  this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.