Bill Text: TX HB4340 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a special right of access to certain public information by an individual who is a victim of a crime.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-29 - Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence [HB4340 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB4340-Introduced.html
87R11609 TJB-F | ||
By: Howard | H.B. No. 4340 |
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relating to a special right of access to certain public information | ||
by an individual who is a victim of a crime. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 552, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 552.0235 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 552.0235. SPECIAL RIGHT OF ACCESS BY CRIME VICTIM. (a) | ||
Notwithstanding any other law, and except as provided by Subsection | ||
(b), an individual who is a victim of a crime has a special right of | ||
access, beyond the right of the public, to information held by a | ||
governmental body related to the detection, investigation, and | ||
prosecution of that crime, including information that is | ||
confidential under law. A governmental body on request by the | ||
individual shall provide the information to the individual for | ||
inspection or duplication in accordance with this chapter. | ||
(b) A governmental body shall redact from any information | ||
provided under this section information that would identify the | ||
alleged or actual perpetrator of the crime, including the | ||
perpetrator's name, address, and social security number. | ||
(c) A governmental body, by providing information under | ||
this section that is confidential or otherwise excepted from | ||
required disclosure under law, does not waive or affect the | ||
confidentiality of the information for purposes of state or federal | ||
law or waive the right to assert exceptions to required disclosure | ||
of the information in the future. | ||
(d) This section does not affect: | ||
(1) the right of an individual who is the victim of a | ||
crime to obtain information from a governmental body under other | ||
law; | ||
(2) the procedures under which the information is | ||
obtained under other law; or | ||
(3) the use that may be made of the information | ||
obtained under other law. | ||
(e) A release of information under Subsection (a) is not an | ||
offense under Section 552.352. | ||
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to | ||
a request for public information received by a governmental body or | ||
officer for public information on or after the effective date of | ||
this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |