Bill Text: TX SB1317 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to maintenance and production of electronic public information under the public information law.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-07 - Referred to Business & Commerce [SB1317 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB1317-Introduced.html
  86R6267 BEF-D
 
  By: Johnson, Watson S.B. No. 1317
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to maintenance and production of electronic public
  information under the public information law.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 552, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 552.2285 to read as follows:
         Sec. 552.2285.  ELECTRONIC PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a)  In this
  section "electronic public information" means public information
  maintained in electronic form by a governmental body. The term
  includes electronic records and data from database fields.
         (b)  A governmental body's use of an electronic
  recordkeeping system may not erode the public's right of access to
  public information under this chapter.
         (c)  If a request for public information applies to
  electronic public information, the governmental body shall
  provide, in the manner described by this section, an electronic
  copy of the requested electronic public information using computer
  software the governmental body has in its possession.  If the
  requestor prefers, the governmental body shall provide a copy of
  electronic public information in the form of a paper printout.
         (d)  A governmental body may not refuse to provide a copy of
  electronic public information on the grounds that exporting the
  information or redacting excepted information will require
  inputting range, search, filter, report parameters, or similar
  commands or instructions into the governmental body's computer
  system if the commands or instructions can be executed with
  computer software used by the governmental body in the ordinary
  course of business to access, support, or otherwise manage the
  information. 
         (e)  A requestor may request that a copy of electronic public
  information be provided in the format in which the information is
  maintained by the governmental body or in a standard export format
  such as a flat file electronic American Standard Code for
  Information Interchange (ASCII) if the governmental body's
  computer programs support exporting the information in that format.  
  The governmental body shall provide the copy in the requested
  format or in another format acceptable to the requestor.  The
  governmental body shall provide the copy on suitable electronic
  media.
         (f)  If electronic public information is maintained by a
  governmental body in a format that is:
               (1)  neither searchable nor sortable, the governmental
  body shall provide an electronic copy of the information in a format
  that complies with this section;
               (2)  searchable but not sortable, the governmental body
  shall provide an electronic copy of the information in a searchable
  format that complies with this section; or
               (3)  sortable, the governmental body shall provide an
  electronic copy of the information in a sortable format that
  complies with this section.
         (g)  A governmental body may not enter into a contract for
  the creation or maintenance of electronic public information that
  impairs the public's ability to inspect or copy the information,
  including a contract for the creation of a publicly accessible
  version of information that is more difficult for the public to
  inspect or copy than records maintained by the governmental body.
         (h)  This section applies to public information for which a
  third party is the custodian for the governmental body.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 552.228(b) and (c), Government Code,
  are repealed.
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a request for public information received by a governmental body on
  or after the effective date of this Act.  A request received before
  that date is governed by the law in effect when the request was
  received, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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