The bill amends the Health and Safety Code to establish confidentiality for tier two forms listing hazardous chemicals held by political subdivisions in Texas. Specifically, it introduces new provisions that classify these forms as confidential and not subject to public disclosure under Chapter 552 of the Government Code, with certain exceptions. A political subdivision may only release a tier two form or its information if it has been made publicly available by the relevant commission or if the information pertains solely to the name of a class of dangerous goods as defined in the 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook published by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing language in Sections 505.006, 506.006, and 507.006 to reflect these changes, ensuring that the confidentiality of tier two forms is consistently applied across different sections of the Health and Safety Code. The new provisions aim to enhance the protection of sensitive information regarding hazardous chemicals while still allowing for limited public access under specific circumstances. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Health and Safety Code 505.006, Health and Safety Code 506.006, Health and Safety Code 507.006 (Health and Safety Code 507, Health and Safety Code 505, Health and Safety Code 506)