By: Thompson of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Duncan) H.B. No. 1186
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 4, 2013;
April 9, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on State
Affairs; April 25, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 25, 2013, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Texas Racing Commission's ability to share
investigatory information with other state regulatory agencies.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 2.15, Texas Racing Act (Article 179e,
Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 2.15. RECORDS. (a) All records of the commission that
are not made confidential by other law are open to inspection by the
public during regular office hours. All applications for a license
under this Act shall be maintained by the commission and shall be
available for public inspection during regular office hours.
(b) The contents of the investigatory files of the
commission[, however,] are not public records and are confidential
except in a criminal proceeding, in a hearing conducted by the
commission, on court order, or with the consent of the party being
investigated.
(c) The commission may share with another regulatory agency
of this state any investigatory file information that creates a
reasonable suspicion of a person's violation of a law or rule under
that agency's jurisdiction. The agency may use the information as
if it was obtained through that agency's investigatory process.
SECTION 2. 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, 2013.
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