Relating to a governmental body's response to a request for public information.
HB 4219 amends Texas' Government Code to clarify how governmental bodies must respond to public information requests. It requires officials to notify requesters in writing within 10 business days if no responsive information exists (Section 1(f)) or if information is withheld based on a prior determination (Section 1(g)), specifying the exact prior decision used. The bill also creates a process for requesters to file complaints with the attorney general if a body fails to respond properly (Section 552.328), which could lead to mandatory open records training for the body and prohibit charging requesters for non-compliant responses. This directly affects all Texas governmental bodies handling public records requests and requesters seeking transparency.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Mar 31, 2025
Signed Jun 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Engrossed
→
Enrolled
·
3 edits
·
Jun 20, 2025
MINOR
This bill enrolls the final version of HB 4219, which amends the Texas Government Code to strengthen public records response requirements. The substantive policy content remains the same as the engrossed version, with changes being primarily formatting, spacing, and removal of digital content notes rather than policy modifications.
TECHNICAL
Removed digital content accessibility update notes and page numbering artifacts from the engrossed version.
Reformatted text spacing and removed placeholder text like 'AA' that appeared in the engrossed version.
Added enrolled version certification signatures and voting records from the Senate and House.
Floor votes · House May 1, 2025
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
51
Key actions
17
Committee
12
Jun 20, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
May 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
May 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
May 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate passage reported
lower
May 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
May 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
May 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
May 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
May 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
May 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
May 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Business & Commerce
upper
May 5, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
May 5, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
May 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
Apr 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in committee
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Mar 31, 2025
Committee
Referred to Delivery of Government Efficiency
lower
Mar 31, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
2 primary · 3 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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