88R25566 JON-F
 
  By: Moody H.B. No. 3167
 
  Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3167:
 
  By:  Turner C.S.H.B. No. 3167
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to requests made under the public information law that
  require a large amount of personnel time.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 552.271, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
         (e)  A requestor who has exceeded a limit established by a
  governmental body under Section 552.275 may not inspect public
  information on behalf of another requestor unless the requestor who
  exceeded the limit has paid each statement issued by the
  governmental body under Section 552.275(e).
         SECTION 2.  Section 552.272, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
         (f)  A requestor who has exceeded a limit established by a
  governmental body under Section 552.275 may not inspect public
  information on behalf of another requestor unless the requestor who
  exceeded the limit has paid each statement issued by the
  governmental body under Section 552.275(e).
         SECTION 3.  Section 552.275, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (d), (g), and (h) and adding Subsections (n)
  and (o) to read as follows:
         (d)  If a governmental body establishes a time limit under
  Subsection (a), each time the governmental body complies with a
  request for public information, the governmental body shall provide
  the requestor with a written statement of the amount of personnel
  time spent complying with that request and the cumulative amount of
  time spent complying with requests for public information from that
  requestor during the applicable monthly or yearly period.  The
  amount of time spent preparing the written statement may not be
  included in the amount of time included in the statement provided to
  the requestor under this subsection unless the requestor's time
  limit for the period has been exceeded.
         (g)  If a governmental body provides a requestor with a [the]
  written statement under Subsection (e) or (o) and the time limits
  prescribed by Subsection (a) regarding the requestor have been
  exceeded, the governmental body is not required to produce public
  information for inspection or duplication or to provide copies of
  public information in response to the requestor's request unless on
  or before the 10th day after the date the governmental body provided
  the written statement under that subsection, the requestor submits
  payment of  the amount stated in the written statement provided
  under Subsection (e) or provides identification or submits payment
  as required by Subsection (o), as applicable.
         (h)  If the requestor fails or refuses to provide
  identification or submit payment under Subsection (g), the
  requestor is considered to have withdrawn the requestor's pending
  request for public information.
         (n)  A governmental body may request photo identification
  from a requestor for the sole purpose of establishing that the
  requestor has not:
               (1)  exceeded a limit established by the governmental
  body under Subsection (a); and
               (2)  concealed the requestor's identity.
         (o)  A request for photo identification under Subsection (n)
  must include a statement under Subsection (e) applicable to the
  requestor who has exceeded a limit established by the governmental
  body and a statement that describes each specific reason why
  Subsection (n) may apply to the requestor. The governmental body
  shall accept as proof of a requestor's identification physical
  presentment of photo identification or an image of the photo
  identification that is transmitted electronically or through the
  mail. A requestor from whom a governmental body has requested photo
  identification under Subsection (n) may decline to provide
  identification and obtain the requested information by paying the
  charge assessed in the statement.
         SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a request for information that is received by a governmental body or
  an officer for public information on or after the effective date of
  this Act. A request for information that was received before the
  effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
  date the request was received, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.