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 the Election Code unless all such reports from the past three years are publicly available on the governmental body's website. Additionally, it amends Section 552.269 to empower the attorney general to cancel or reduce charges if the governmental body has not maintained the requested information properly or failed to comply with the law.

Furthermore, the bill establishes that a governmental body cannot knowingly fail to comply with the law regarding requests for public information that incur charges. If a violation occurs, the governmental body may be liable for a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each infraction, and the attorney general is authorized to take action to collect these penalties. The provisions of this Act will apply only to requests for public information received on or after its effective date of 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)