H.B. No. 5193 aims to improve efficiency, transparency, and regulatory processes in state and local government. It introduces a new Subsection (f) to Section 552.261 of the Government Code, which prohibits governmental bodies from charging for copies of public information reports required under specific election codes unless all reports from the past three years are available on their websites. Additionally, a new Subsection (c) is added to Section 552.269, allowing the attorney general to cancel or reduce charges imposed by governmental bodies that fail to maintain requested information properly or do not comply with public information requests. The bill also modifies the Local Government Code to allow for third-party reviews and inspections of development documents, reduces the time frame for municipalities to grant or deny building permits from 45 to 30 days, and prohibits fee collection if municipalities do not comply with this timeline.

Moreover, the bill amends the Health and Safety Code to update regulations for mobile food service establishments in counties with populations over one million, introducing a fixed-amount limitation that will increase annually starting January 1, 2027. It removes previous criteria related to airports and municipalities, allows counties to delegate inspection responsibilities to municipalities, and prohibits municipalities from requiring additional permits beyond state mandates for mobile food services. The bill also establishes guidelines for permit fee calculations, ensuring fees do not exceed necessary amounts for processing and inspections, and repeals Section 437.0073. The changes will apply to existing ordinances or regulations, and the bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, pending a three-fifths vote from both legislative houses.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 552.261, Government Code 552.269, Health and Safety Code 437.001, Health and Safety Code 437.0197, Local Government Code 214.904, Civil Practice and Remedies Code 71.010, Health and Safety Code 437.0073 (Civil Practice and Remedies Code 71, Local Government Code 214, Health and Safety Code 437, Government Code 552)