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        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to the exception from disclosure under the public | 
      
        |  | information law for information related to competition or bidding. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Section 552.104, Government Code, is amended to | 
      
        |  | read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 552.104.  EXCEPTION: INFORMATION RELATED TO | 
      
        |  | COMPETITION OR BIDDING.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), | 
      
        |  | information [ Information] is excepted from the requirements of | 
      
        |  | Section 552.021 if a governmental body demonstrates that release of | 
      
        |  | the [ it is] information [that, if released,] would harm its | 
      
        |  | interests by providing an [ give] advantage to a competitor or | 
      
        |  | bidder in a particular competitive situation. | 
      
        |  | (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the [ The] | 
      
        |  | requirement of Section 552.022 that a category of information | 
      
        |  | listed under Section 552.022(a) is public information and not | 
      
        |  | excepted from required disclosure under this chapter unless | 
      
        |  | expressly confidential under law does not apply to information that | 
      
        |  | is excepted from required disclosure under this section. | 
      
        |  | (c)  The exception under this section does not apply to: | 
      
        |  | (1)  a bid or proposal, or information contained in a | 
      
        |  | bid or proposal, after the governmental body executes or awards the | 
      
        |  | contract to which the bid or proposal relates; or | 
      
        |  | (2)  an account, voucher, or contract, or information | 
      
        |  | contained in or describing an account, voucher, or contract. | 
      
        |  | (d)  Section 552.305 does not apply to the exception under | 
      
        |  | this section. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  Section 552.305(a), Government Code, is amended | 
      
        |  | to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | (a)  In a case in which information is requested under this | 
      
        |  | chapter and a person's privacy or property interests may be | 
      
        |  | involved, including a case under Section 552.101, [ 552.104,] | 
      
        |  | 552.110, or 552.114, a governmental body may decline to release the | 
      
        |  | information for the purpose of requesting an attorney general | 
      
        |  | decision. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to | 
      
        |  | a request for information received by a governmental body or an | 
      
        |  | officer for public information on or after the effective date of | 
      
        |  | this Act.  A request for information received before the effective | 
      
        |  | date of this Act 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, 2017. |