81R4673 JD-F
By: Wentworth S.B. No. 1630
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the availability of information under the public
information law.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 552.105, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 552.105. EXCEPTION: INFORMATION RELATED TO LOCATION
OR PRICE OF PROPERTY. (a) Information is not public information
under this chapter [excepted from the requirements of Section
552.021] if it is information relating to:
(1) the location of real or personal property for a
public purpose prior to public announcement of the project; or
(2) appraisals or purchase price of real or personal
property for a public purpose prior to the formal award of contracts
for the property.
(b) Section 552.022 does not apply to information described
by Subsection (a).
SECTION 2. Section 552.221(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) An officer for public information complies with
Subsection (a) by:
(1) providing the public information for inspection or
duplication in the offices of the governmental body; [or]
(2) sending copies of the public information by first
class United States mail if the person requesting the information
requests that copies be provided and pays the postage and any other
applicable charges that the requestor has accrued under Subchapter
F; or
(3)(A) informing the person requesting the
information, in writing, that the public information is available
on an Internet website that is:
(i) owned, controlled, or maintained by the
governmental body; and
(ii) accessible to members of the general
public;
(B) providing the person, in writing, the exact
Internet location or uniform resource locator (URL) address where
the person can access the public information; and
(C) offering the person access to a computer
terminal at no charge so that the person can access the public
information on the Internet website.
SECTION 3. Section 552.228(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) It shall be a policy of a governmental body to provide a
suitable copy of public information within a reasonable time after
the date on which the copy is requested. This policy of a
governmental body is considered to be fulfilled if the governmental
body complies with Section 552.221(b).
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.