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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to attorney general decisions under the public information |
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law. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 552.306, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Section 552.011, the attorney |
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general shall promptly render a decision requested under this |
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subchapter, consistent with the standards of due process, |
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determining whether the requested information is within one of the |
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exceptions of Subchapter C. The attorney general shall render the |
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decision not later than the 30th [45th] business day after the date |
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the attorney general received the request for a decision. [If the |
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attorney general is unable to issue the decision within the 45-day |
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period, the attorney general may extend the period for issuing the |
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decision by an additional 10 business days by informing the |
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governmental body and the requestor, during the original 45-day |
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period, of the reason for the delay.] |
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(c) A governmental body shall as soon as practicable but not |
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later than the 15th day after the date a decision is issued: |
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(1) produce the information subject to the decision |
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that is required to be produced; or |
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(2) notify in writing the person who requested the |
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information that the governmental body is withholding the |
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information as authorized by the decision. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 552, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 552.310 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 552.310. SEARCHABLE DATABASE. (a) The office of the |
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attorney general shall make available on the office's Internet |
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website an easily accessible and searchable database consisting of: |
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(1) each request for an attorney general decision made |
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under this subchapter; and |
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(2) the attorney general's decision on the request. |
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(b) The database at a minimum must allow a person to search |
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for a request or decision described by Subsection (a) by: |
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(1) the name of the governmental body making the |
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request; and |
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(2) the exception under Subchapter C that a |
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governmental body asserts in the request applies to its request to |
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withhold information from public disclosure. |
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(c) The database must allow a person to view the current |
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status of a request described by Subsection (a)(1) and an estimated |
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timeline indicating the date each stage of review of the request |
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will be started and completed. |
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SECTION 3. Section 552.306, Government Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies to a request for an attorney general decision made |
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under Subchapter G, Chapter 552, of that code on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. A request for an attorney general |
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decision made before the effective date of this Act is governed by |
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the law in effect on the date the request was made, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. As soon as practicable, but not later than |
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January 1, 2024, the office of the attorney general shall make the |
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database required by Section 552.310, Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, available on the office's Internet website. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |