The commission and department must set up and carry out procedures for handling written complaints, including forms, information sharing, recordkeeping, and periodic status updates.
Sec. 394.006. COMPLAINTS; RECORDS. (a) The commission by rule shall establish procedures for accepting and resolving written complaints related to signs under this chapter. The rules must include: (1) a process to make information available describing the department's procedures for complaint investigation and resolution, including making information about the procedures available on the department's Internet website; (2) a system to prioritize complaints so that the most serious complaints receive attention before less serious complaints; and (3) a procedure for compiling and reporting detailed annual statistics about complaints. (b) The department shall develop and provide a simple form for filing complaints with the department. (c) The department shall provide to each person who files a written complaint with the department, and to each person who is the subject of a complaint, information about the department's policies and procedures relating to complaint investigation and resolution. (d) The department shall keep, pursuant to the department's approved records retention schedule, an information file about each written complaint filed with the department that the department has authority to resolve. The department shall keep the following information for each complaint for the purpose of enforcing this chapter: (1) the date the complaint is filed; (2) the name of the person filing the complaint; (3) the subject matter of the complaint; (4) each person contacted in relation to the complaint; (5) a summary of the results of the review or investigation of the complaint; and (6) if the department does not take action on the complaint, an explanation of the reasons that action was not taken. (e) If a written complaint is filed with the department that the department has authority to resolve, the department, at least quarterly and until final disposition of the complaint, shall notify the parties to the complaint of the status of the complaint unless the notice would jeopardize an ongoing department investigation. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1345 (S.B. 1420), Sec. 47(a), eff. September 1, 2011. SUBCHAPTER B. LICENSE AND PERMIT FOR OFF-PREMISE SIGN