| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | |
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| 5 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 9 | | relating to the availability of certain working papers and |
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| 8 | 10 | | electronic communications of certain administrative law judges and |
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| 9 | 11 | | technical examiners under the public information law. |
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| 10 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 552.144, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 12 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 15 | | Sec. 552.144. EXCEPTION: WORKING PAPERS AND ELECTRONIC |
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| 14 | 16 | | COMMUNICATIONS OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES AND TECHNICAL |
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| 15 | 17 | | EXAMINERS AT STATE OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS AND RAILROAD |
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| 16 | 18 | | COMMISSION. The following working papers and electronic |
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| 17 | 19 | | communications of an administrative law judge at the State Office |
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| 18 | 20 | | of Administrative Hearings or of a technical examiner or |
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| 19 | 21 | | administrative law judge at the Railroad Commission of Texas are |
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| 20 | 22 | | excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021: |
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| 21 | 23 | | (1) notes and electronic communications recording the |
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| 22 | 24 | | observations, thoughts, questions, deliberations, or impressions |
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| 23 | 25 | | of an administrative law judge or a technical examiner; |
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| 24 | 26 | | (2) drafts of a proposal for decision; |
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| 25 | 27 | | (3) drafts of orders made in connection with |
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| 26 | 28 | | conducting contested case hearings; and |
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| 27 | 29 | | (4) drafts of orders made in connection with |
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| 28 | 30 | | conducting alternative dispute resolution procedures. |
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| 29 | 31 | | SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 30 | 32 | | a request for public information received by a governmental body or |
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| 31 | 33 | | an officer for public information on or after the effective date of |
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| 32 | 34 | | this Act. |
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| 33 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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