H.B. No. 675 aims to enhance compliance with public information laws by governmental bodies in Texas and introduces specific provisions regarding the imposition of charges for providing copies of public information. The bill amends Section 552.261 of the Government Code to state that a governmental body cannot charge for copies of reports required under Subchapter C or D of Chapter 254 of the Election Code unless all such reports from the past three years are publicly available on the governmental body's website. Additionally, Section 552.269 is amended to include new subsections that empower the attorney general to cancel or reduce charges if a governmental body fails to maintain requested information properly or does not comply with the chapter regarding the request.

Furthermore, the bill establishes that a governmental body cannot knowingly fail to comply with the chapter when a charge is imposed, and it introduces a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation of this requirement. The attorney general is also granted the authority to take legal action to collect these civil penalties. The provisions of this Act will apply only to requests for public information received on or after its effective date, which is set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 552.261, Government Code 552.269 (Government Code 552)
House Committee Report: Government Code 552.261, Government Code 552.269 (Government Code 552)
Engrossed: Government Code 552.261, Government Code 552.269 (Government Code 552)