SB 415
bill on confidentiality agreements for legislators’ records requests
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to the authority of a governmental body to require certain persons to sign a confidentiality agreement in response to a request for public information for legislative purposes under the public information law.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Offices give five business days’ notice before demanding one.
The bill makes a government office tell a legislator, committee, or legislative agency within five business days if it plans to demand a confidentiality agreement before handing over requested records. If the office misses that notice deadline, or if the agreement is not signed by every party within ten business days after the notice arrives, the office loses the power to demand the agreement. It touches every governmental body that gets records requests from the Legislature, and it starts September 1, 2025, for requests received on or after that date.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 21, 2024 and referred to the Senate Business & Commerce committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB415 · 2024-11-21
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the authority of a governmental body to require certain persons to sign a confidentiality agreement in response to a request for public information for legislative purposes under the public information law.
WHAT IT DOES
Offices give five business days’ notice before demanding one.
The bill makes a government office tell a legislator, committee, or legislative agency within five business days if it plans to demand a confidentiality agreement before handing over requested records. If the office misses that notice deadline, or if the agreement is not signed by every party within ten business days after the notice arrives, the office loses the power to demand the agreement. It touches every governmental body that gets records requests from the Legislature, and it starts September 1, 2025, for requests received on or after that date.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Business & Commerce
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Jul 6, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1,140,000.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$1,140,000.00
- Cash
- $1,140,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $1,140,000.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$1,140,000.00
- Cash
- $1,140,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $1,140,000.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Nov 21, 2024
02/03/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Legislature
Open Records
Text
The text as introduced · 292 words
89R1989 TJB-D By: Middleton S.B. No. 415 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the authority of a governmental body to require certain persons to sign a confidentiality agreement in response to a request for public information for legislative purposes under the public information law. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 552.008, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsections (b-3) and (b-4) to read as follows: (b-3) A governmental body shall provide written notification to a member, committee, or agency of the legislature that requests information under this section if the governmental body will require a person to sign a confidentiality agreement under Subsection (b) regarding the requested information. The governmental body must provide the notice to the requesting member, committee, or agency not later than the fifth business day following the date the governmental body receives the request for the information that is the subject of the notice. (b-4) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a governmental body may not require a person to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding information requested under this section if: (1) the governmental body fails to provide the notice required by Subsection (b-3) regarding the information in the time and manner prescribed by that subsection; or (2) an agreement regarding the information is not signed by each party to the agreement before the 10th business day following the date the notice required by Subsection (b-3) is received by the requesting member, committee, or agency. SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a request for information received by a governmental body or officer for public information on or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.