S.B. No. 1368
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to public information pertaining to the official business
  of governmental bodies and to contracts by certain state
  governmental entities that involve the exchange or creation of
  public information.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 552.002, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 552.002.  DEFINITION OF PUBLIC INFORMATION; MEDIA
  CONTAINING PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a)  In this chapter, "public
  information" means information that is written, produced,
  collected, assembled, or maintained under a law or ordinance or in
  connection with the transaction of official business:
               (1)  by a governmental body; [or]
               (2)  for a governmental body and the governmental body:
                     (A)  owns the information; [or]
                     (B)  has a right of access to the information; or
                     (C)  spends or contributes public money for the
  purpose of writing, producing, collecting, assembling, or
  maintaining the information; or
               (3)  by an individual officer or employee of a
  governmental body in the officer's or employee's official capacity
  and the information pertains to official business of the
  governmental body [it].
         (a-1)  Information is in connection with the transaction of
  official business if the information is created by, transmitted to,
  received by, or maintained by an officer or employee of the
  governmental body in the officer's or employee's official capacity,
  or a person or entity performing official business or a
  governmental function on behalf of a governmental body, and
  pertains to official business of the governmental body.
         (a-2)  The definition of "public information" provided by
  Subsection (a) applies to and includes any electronic communication
  created, transmitted, received, or maintained on any device if the
  communication is in connection with the transaction of official
  business.
         (b)  The media on which public information is recorded
  include:
               (1)  paper;
               (2)  film;
               (3)  a magnetic, optical, [or] solid state, or other
  device that can store an electronic signal;
               (4)  tape;
               (5)  Mylar; and
               (6)  any physical material on which information may be
  recorded, including linen,[;
               [(7)]  silk,[;] and
               [(8)]  vellum.
         (c)  The general forms in which the media containing public
  information exist include a book, paper, letter, document, e-mail,
  Internet posting, text message, instant message, other electronic
  communication, printout, photograph, film, tape, microfiche,
  microfilm, photostat, sound recording, map, and drawing and a
  voice, data, or video representation held in computer memory.
         SECTION 2.  Section 552.003, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (2-a) to read as follows:
         (2-a) "Official business" means any matter over which a
  governmental body has any authority, administrative duties, or
  advisory duties.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 2252, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 2252.907 to read as follows:
         Sec. 2252.907.  CONTRACTS INVOLVING EXCHANGE OR CREATION OF
  PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a)  A contract between a state governmental
  entity and a nongovernmental vendor involving the exchange or
  creation of public information as defined by Section 552.002 that
  the state governmental entity collects, assembles, or maintains or
  has a right of access to must:
               (1)  be drafted in consideration of the requirements of
  Chapter 552; and
               (2)  contain a provision that requires the vendor to
  make the information not otherwise excepted from disclosure under
  Chapter 552 available in a specific format that is:
                     (A)  agreed upon in the contract; and
                     (B)  accessible by the public.
         (b)  This section may not be waived by contract or otherwise.
         (c)  A request for public information regarding a contract
  described by this section must be submitted to the officer or
  employee responsible for responding to open records requests for
  the state governmental entity that executed the contract.
         (d)  In this section, "state governmental entity" means a
  state agency, board, commission, office, department, or other
  agency in the executive or legislative branch of state government.
         SECTION 4.  Section 2252.907, Government Code, as added by
  this Act, applies only to a contract for which a state governmental
  entity first advertises or otherwise solicits bids, proposals,
  offers, or qualifications on or after the effective date of this
  Act. A contract for which a state governmental entity advertised or
  otherwise solicited bids, proposals, offers, or qualifications
  before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
  effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that
  law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1368 passed the Senate on
  April 25, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 24, Nays 4; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 24, 2013, by the
  following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1368 passed the House, with
  amendments, on May 22, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 93,
  Nays 56, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor