Session | Bill Number | Read Bill | Author | Bill Status | Updated | Bill Type Sort descending | Position | Priority | Caption | Body | |
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88_R | HB 4710 | Read Bill | Kacal, Kyle (R) | Failed: Removed from hearing | 2023.03.31 | Open Records | Opposed | 1 | Relating to allowing a governmental body to combine multiple requests submitted by separate individuals on behalf of an organization for purposes of computing charges under the public information law. | Bill allows government to lump different people's requests and treat them as one. It is not the government's privilege to declare that a person is part of a particular group, nor to know why people are seeking information. Each individual has a right to request. Donnis talked to Kacal by phone to get more info about the bill. 3/24 Donnis and Kelley Shannon meeting with Bryan (city of) folks about the bill. They are having a problem with vexatious requestors. Our opponents must have convinced Kacal that existing law cannot protect them and this bill must be set for hearing.
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88_R | SB 1670 | Read Bill | Lamantia, Morgan (F) (D) | Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 | 2023.06.18 | Open Records | Support | 2 | Relating to required boating incident reports. | Bill increases transparency and allows newspapers access to boating incident reports. Signed card of support |
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88_R | SB 1658 | Read Bill | Hinojosa, Chuy (D) | Failed: Passed Senate, House Calendar 5/23 | 2023.05.21 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the collection and disclosure of certain public information. | This bill would increase access to public information by eliminating some of the privileges that currently allow for withholding. The “basic information” piece would make clear that basic information about an incident (which the press has a right to) is not limited to just arrests and crimes, but would apply to incidents that don’t necessarily result in an arrest. The last section regarding “video” would ensure that audio recordings aren’t subject to the stricter standards for releasing body cams. Companion is HB 3334 by Canales. |
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88_R | HB 1765 | Read Bill | Burns, DeWayne (R) | Failed: Passed House on local calendar, referred to Senate Business and Commerce | 2023.05.05 | Open Records | Monitor | 0 | Relating to the redaction of certain information from a document posted on the Internet by a county clerk or district clerk on request of a person to whom the information relates. | Can a clerk just modify a record because someone asks? Reid: "I do think that's what it means. It would have to be someone who fits the definition in 552.114 and would have to be the kind of information that's described there. But if it fits the bill, the this bill would require the clerk to redact at their request. Might be worth having a conversation with the author. 3/15/23 We further reviewed the bill and concluded that the bill did no harm and removed it from our list. |
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88_R | SB 372 | Read Bill | Huffman, Joan (R) | Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 | 2023.06.18 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to creating a criminal offense for the unauthorized disclosure of non-public judicial opinions and judicial work product. | We need to monitor this one. It would make leaking a court document a misdemeanor. Companion is HB 1741 by Leach |
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88_R | SB 461 | Read Bill | Parker, Tan (F) (R) | Failed: Referred to Criminal Justice | 2023.02.17 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the confidentiality of home address information for victims of child abduction. | Home address confidentiality - child abduction |
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88_R | SB 875 | Read Bill | West, Royce (D) | Failed: Referred to Criminal Justice | 2023.03.01 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to a criminal justice system pretrial and sentencing database established by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System. | This sets up a public database, but “deidentifies suspects on the database. Companion is HB 2043 by Bowers. 3/23 Met with folks from the Bail Project and the Texas ACLU. They explained that this bill will be useful for investigative reporters who are doing statistical analyses of bail practices, and that the aggregated “deidentified” data doesn’t endanger public access to identities of suspects through the usual normal channels. We do not need to take a position |
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88_R | HB 2043 | Read Bill | Bowers, Rhetta (D) | Failed: Bill Pronounced Dead by Procedural Action | 2023.05.10 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to a criminal justice system pretrial and sentencing database established by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System. | Need more info. This sets up a public database, but “deidentifies suspects on the database. Companion is SB 875 by West 3/21 met with Natoya who suggests we set up meeting w/ Andre Treiber, chief of staff to get better understanding of bill. Need to set appointment soon.
3/23 Met with folks from the Bail Project and the Texas ACLU. They explained that this bill will be useful for investigative reporters who are doing statistical analyses of bail practices, and that the aggregated “deidentified” data doesn’t endanger public access to identities of suspects through the usual normal channels. We do not need to take a position |
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88_R | HB 1383 | Read Bill | Rose, Toni (D) | Failed: Passed House, referred to Senate Criminal Justice | 2023.05.05 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to procedures in a criminal case after a defendant is found competent to stand trial and to consequences arising from certain violations of those procedures. | Monitor. If bill gets hearing, file a card of support |
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88_R | hb 1741 | Read Bill | Leach, Jeff (R) | See companion SB 372 | 2023.05.09 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to creating a criminal offense for the unauthorized disclosure of non-public judicial opinions and judicial work product. | Confidentiality of judicial work product See companion SB 372 (passed house and senate) |
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88_R | HB 1737 | Read Bill | Leach, Jeff (R) | Failed: Passed House, Committee Action pending in Senate State Affairs | 2023.05.18 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to automatic orders of nondisclosure of criminal history record information for certain misdemeanor defendants following successful completion of a period of deferred adjudication community supervision. | Nondisclosure of criminal history: The tsunami of drug convictions across all socioeconomic groups makes a law like this almost an eventuality. This bill is limited to nonviolent first offenders who keep their noses clean for a defined period afterward. I don’t want TPA to support it, but I don’t want TPA to oppose it either. Companion to SB 499 by Zaffirini |
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88_R | HB 1720 | Read Bill | Raymond, Richard (D) | Failed: Referred to Homeland Security & Public Safety | 2023.03.07 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the dissemination of criminal history record information by the Department of Public Safety concerning certain intoxication offenses. | Nondisclosure intoxication record |
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88_R | SB 690 | Read Bill | Middleton, Mayes (F) (R) | Failed: Referred to Education | 2023.02.17 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the appointment of an inspector general for education and the creation of a division of inspector general for education in the governor's office to investigate the administration of public education. | Need to visit with Middleton. This bill would establish an investigator general for education, but any document the I.G. investigates is not to be released under the PIA - so that would include a document that would otherwise be readily available to the public, such as a budget, a checkbook register, etc. 3/21: met with legislative director - explained error, he will get it fixed. |
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88_R | HB 2519 | Read Bill | Thompson, Senfronia (D) | Failed: Referred to Homeland Security & Public Safety | 2023.03.13 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to law enforcement misconduct and law enforcement interactions with certain detained or arrested individuals and other members of the public, to public entity liability. | Pro-transparency section, but for the most part this will be seen as an anti-law enforcement bill. We shouldn't be associated with it. Let's monitor. |
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88_R | HB 1964 | Read Bill | Hernandez, Ana (D) | Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 | 2023.06.01 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the release of a motor vehicle accident report to an employee or authorized representative of a vehicle storage facility. |
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88_R | HB 2221 | Read Bill | Harrison, Brian (R) | Failed: Referred to Ways & Means | 2023.03.09 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the vote required in an election to approve an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds a taxing unit's voter-approval tax rate. | Per Reid Pillifant: HB 2221 just changes the percentage required to approve a tax rate (from a majority to 60 percent). Suggests we monitor. |
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88_R | SB 818 | Read Bill | Alvarado, Carol (D) | Signed by Governor | 2023.05.19 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the disposition of real property interests by navigation districts and port authorities. | This eliminates notice requirements for sale or gift of small pieces of public property to Navigation Districts and Port Authorities for rights-of-way, etc. Not worth fighting over but let’s monitor. |
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88_R | HB 2371 | Read Bill | Turner, Chris (D) | Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 | 2023.05.23 | Public Notice | Support | 2 | Relating to the disposition of burial spaces and abandoned plots in certain cemeteries in the possession and control of a municipality. | Good newspaper notice language introduced. TPA registered card of support for bill on 3/2823 |
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88_R | HB 2436 | Read Bill | Frazier, Frederick (F) (R) | Failed: House Calendar for 5/11 | 2023.05.09 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the sale of bonds by certain special purpose districts. | Adds a newspaper notice. Monitor for amendments |
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88_R | HB 2457 | Read Bill | Lozano, Jose (R) | Failed: Referred to Urban Affairs | 2023.03.13 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to notice requirements for certain municipal fees and the process to adopt a municipal budget that includes the use of revenue from those fees. | Go see author and see if we can add Newspaper Notice to the bill. Note that he is calling for a website notice with email notification which our statewide site can provide. |