If a governmental body has already given a requester the same information, it must respond under this section by certifying the prior furnishing or availability, and it cannot charge for that certification.
Sec. 552.232. RESPONDING TO REPETITIOUS OR REDUNDANT REQUESTS. (a) A governmental body that determines that a requestor has made a request for information for which the governmental body has previously furnished copies to the requestor or made copies available to the requestor on payment of applicable charges under Subchapter F, shall respond to the request, in relation to the information for which copies have been already furnished or made available, in accordance with this section, except that: (1) this section does not prohibit the governmental body from furnishing the information or making the information available to the requestor again in accordance with the request; and (2) the governmental body is not required to comply with this section in relation to information that the governmental body simply furnishes or makes available to the requestor again in accordance with the request. (b) The governmental body shall certify to the requestor that copies of all or part of the requested information, as applicable, were previously furnished to the requestor or made available to the requestor on payment of applicable charges under Subchapter F. The certification must include: (1) a description of the information for which copies have been previously furnished or made available to the requestor; (2) the date that the governmental body received the requestor's original request for that information; (3) the date that the governmental body previously furnished copies of or made available copies of the information to the requestor; (4) a certification that no subsequent additions, deletions, or corrections have been made to that information; and (5) the name, title, and signature of the officer for public information or the officer's agent making the certification. (c) A charge may not be imposed for making and furnishing a certification required under Subsection (b). (d) This section does not apply to information for which the governmental body has not previously furnished copies to the requestor or made copies available to the requestor on payment of applicable charges under Subchapter F. A request by the requestor for information for which copies have not previously been furnished or made available to the requestor, including information for which copies were not furnished or made available because the information was redacted from other information that was furnished or made available or because the information did not yet exist at the time of an earlier request, shall be treated in the same manner as any other request for information under this chapter. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1319, Sec. 13, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.