Bill Text: TX HB3073 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a requirement that state agencies make agency guidance documents accessible to the public.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-11 - Referred to Business & Commerce [HB3073 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB3073-Introduced.html
87R6941 CJC-D | ||
By: Shaheen | H.B. No. 3073 |
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relating to a requirement that state agencies make agency guidance | ||
documents accessible to the public. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 10, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Chapter 2062 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 2062. STATE AGENCY GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS | ||
Sec. 2062.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Guidance document" means a statement of general | ||
applicability issued by a state agency that describes the agency's | ||
policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue that relates | ||
to the agency's powers and duties or that interprets a statutory or | ||
regulatory issue that relates to the agency's powers and duties. | ||
The term does not include a rule adopted by a state agency. | ||
(2) "State agency" means a board, commission, council, | ||
department, office, or other agency in the executive branch of | ||
state government. | ||
Sec. 2062.0002. LIBERAL CONSTRUCTION OF CHAPTER. This | ||
chapter shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes. | ||
Sec. 2062.0003. ACCESS TO GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS. (a) Each | ||
state agency shall include on the agency's publicly accessible | ||
Internet website a prominently displayed link to the guidance | ||
documents issued by the agency. | ||
(b) A state agency may not charge a person to access a | ||
guidance document. | ||
Sec. 2062.0004. APPLICABILITY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION LAW. | ||
This chapter may not be construed to require disclosure of | ||
information that is excepted from disclosure or is confidential | ||
under Chapter 552. | ||
SECTION 2. A state agency to which Chapter 2062, Government | ||
Code, as added by this Act, applies shall comply with the | ||
requirements of that chapter as soon as practicable after the | ||
effective date of this Act, but not later than March 1, 2022. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |