The Texas Sunshine Coalition, a diverse group of nearly 20 organizations supporting government transparency, is working to pass state legislation this year to promote the free flow of information. Some of these bills have already been introduced at the Texas Capitol, and more are coming soon.
The Sunshine Coalition legislative proposals already filled are:
• Senate Bill 50 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini: The legislation would require governments to produce public records in their original format, including electronic spreadsheets, when requested. Many government entities convert spreadsheet data into PDF images before releasing it, which can make it more difficult to search and sort large amounts of information.
• Senate Bill 824 by Sen. Mayes Middleton (identical to SB 852) and House Bill 2248 by Rep. John Smithee: The legislation requires governments to respond to Public Information Act requestors and allows for attorneys’ fees to be recouped by requestors who must go to court to obtain public records.
• Senate Bill 919 by Sen. Zaffirini: The proposal requires governments to respond to Public Information Act requestors and provides for a complaint process when there is a failure to respond.
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