H.B. No. 4218 aims to enhance the maintenance and production of electronic public information under Texas public information law. The bill amends Section 552.002(a-2) of the Government Code to clarify that "public information" includes electronic communications related to official business and data dictionaries that describe the type of information in a database, excluding metadata that pertains to security. Additionally, a new section, 552.2285, is introduced, defining "electronic public information" as information maintained in a searchable or sortable electronic format. It establishes that governmental bodies must provide requested electronic public information in the format requested by the requester, ensuring that the public's right to access this information is not compromised.

The bill also includes provisions that prevent governmental bodies from refusing to provide electronic public information based on the complexity of exporting or redacting information, as long as the necessary commands can be executed with existing software. It mandates that if the information is maintained in a searchable or sortable format, it must be provided accordingly. Furthermore, it repeals Section 552.231 of the Government Code and amends Section 118.011(e) of the Local Government Code to align with the new requirements. The changes will take effect on September 1, 2025, and will apply only to requests for public information received on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Local Government Code 118.011, Government Code 552.231 (Government Code 552, Local Government Code 118)
House Committee Report: Local Government Code 118.011, Government Code 552.231 (Government Code 552, Local Government Code 118)