88R2212 SGM-D
 
  By: Schofield H.B. No. 4292
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the entitlement of persons not residing in this state to
  public information.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 552.001(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  Under the fundamental philosophy of the American
  constitutional form of representative government that adheres to
  the principle that government is the servant and not the master of
  the people, it is the policy of this state that each person whose
  primary residence is in this state is entitled, unless otherwise
  expressly provided by law, at all times to complete information
  about the affairs of government and the official acts of public
  officials and employees. The people of this state, in delegating
  authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide
  what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to
  know. The people of this state insist on remaining informed so that
  they may retain control over the instruments they have created. The
  provisions of this chapter shall be liberally construed to
  implement this policy.
         SECTION 2.  Section 552.021, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 552.021.  AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION. Public
  information is available to any person whose primary residence is
  in this state [the public] at a minimum during the normal business
  hours of the governmental body.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 552, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 552.030 to read as follows:
         Sec. 552.030.  REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM NONRESIDENT.
  (a)  If a governmental body receives a request for information from
  a person whose primary residence is not in this state, the
  governmental body may, but is not required to, respond to the
  request.
         (b)  A governmental body may ask a requestor to provide the
  physical address at which the requestor resides in order to
  establish the requestor's residency.  If, not later than the 10th
  business day following the date the governmental body's request is
  sent to the requestor, the requestor fails to provide information
  establishing residency in this state, the governmental body may,
  for purposes of the request, treat the requestor as a person whose
  primary residence is not in this state.
         SECTION 4.  Section 552.221(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  An officer for public information of a governmental body
  shall promptly produce public information for inspection,
  duplication, or both on application by any person whose primary
  residence is in this state to the officer. In this subsection,
  "promptly" means as soon as possible under the circumstances, that
  is, within a reasonable time, without delay.
         SECTION 5.  Section 552.222(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The officer for public information and the officer's
  agent may not make an inquiry of a requestor except:
               (1)  to establish proper identification;
               (2)  to confirm that the requestor's primary residence
  is in this state; or
               (3)  [except] as provided by Subsection (b), (c), or
  (c-1).
         SECTION 6.  Section 552.223, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 552.223.  UNIFORM TREATMENT OF REQUESTS FOR
  INFORMATION. The officer for public information or the officer's
  agent shall treat all requests for information from persons to whom
  the officer is required to produce public information under Section
  552.221(a) uniformly without regard to the position or occupation
  of the requestor, the person on whose behalf the request is made, or
  the status of the individual as a member of the media.
         SECTION 7.  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 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.