The bill, S.B. No. 1130, introduces a new section, 552.328, to the Government Code, establishing an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedure for requestors of public information. Under this provision, a requestor can compel a governmental body to engage in ADR if they disagree with the body's written determination regarding their information request or an assertion made in response to a request for a decision from the attorney general. The ADR process must align with Chapter 154 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, and requestors must initiate the procedure within 180 days of their original request. The governmental body is required to participate in the ADR process upon receiving notice from the requestor.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that if the requestor and the governmental body cannot agree on an impartial third party to facilitate the ADR, the State Office of Administrative Hearings will conduct the procedure at no cost to either party. The bill clarifies that it does not alter any existing deadlines or duties under the public information law and allows requestors to clarify or withdraw their requests during the ADR process. The State Office of Administrative Hearings is tasked with adopting necessary rules to implement this section by January 1, 2026, and the law will apply to requests received on or after that date, with an effective date of September 1, 2025.

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