| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the production of public information available on a |
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| 8 | 6 | | publicly accessible website. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Sections 552.221(b-1) and (b-2), Government |
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| 11 | 9 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | (b-1) In addition to the methods of production described by |
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| 13 | 11 | | Subsection (b), an officer for public information for a |
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| 14 | 12 | | governmental body [political subdivision of this state] complies |
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| 15 | 13 | | with Subsection (a) by referring a requestor to an exact Internet |
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| 16 | 14 | | location or uniform resource locator (URL) address on a website |
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| 17 | 15 | | maintained by the governmental body [political subdivision] and |
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| 18 | 16 | | accessible to the public if the requested information is |
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| 19 | 17 | | identifiable and readily available on that website. If the person |
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| 20 | 18 | | requesting the information prefers a manner other than access |
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| 21 | 19 | | through the URL, the governmental body [political subdivision] must |
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| 22 | 20 | | supply the information in the manner required by Subsection (b). |
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| 23 | 21 | | (b-2) If an officer for public information for a |
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| 24 | 22 | | governmental body [political subdivision] provides by e-mail an |
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| 25 | 23 | | Internet location or uniform resource locator (URL) address as |
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| 26 | 24 | | permitted by Subsection (b-1), the e-mail must contain a statement |
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| 27 | 25 | | in a conspicuous font clearly indicating that the requestor may |
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| 28 | 26 | | nonetheless access the requested information by inspection or |
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| 29 | 27 | | duplication or by receipt through United States mail, as provided |
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| 30 | 28 | | by Subsection (b). |
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| 31 | 29 | | SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 32 | 30 | | a request for information that is received by a governmental body or |
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| 33 | 31 | | an officer for public information on or after the effective date of |
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| 34 | 32 | | this Act. A request for information that was received before the |
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| 35 | 33 | | effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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| 36 | 34 | | date the request was received, and the former law is continued in |
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| 37 | 35 | | effect for that purpose. |
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| 38 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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| 37 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 38 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 39 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 79 passed the Senate on |
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| 40 | + | April 3, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 41 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 42 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 43 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 79 passed the House on |
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| 44 | + | May 24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, two |
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| 45 | + | present not voting. |
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| 46 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 47 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 48 | + | Approved: |
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| 49 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | + | Date |
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| 51 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 52 | + | Governor |
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