State officials may demand return of certain records, and courts must order return and related costs when the statute’s conditions are met.
Sec. 441.192. RIGHT OF RECOVERY. (a) The governing body of a state agency may demand the return of any state record in the private possession of a person if the removal of the state record from the state agency or the agency's predecessor was not authorized by law. (b) The director and librarian may demand the return of any state record or archival state record in the private possession of any person. (c) If the person in possession of the state record or archival state record refuses to deliver the record on demand, the director and librarian or the governing body of a state agency may ask the attorney general to petition a district court in Travis County for the recovery of the record as provided by this section. If the court finds that the record is a state record or archival state record, the court shall order the return of the record to the custody of the state. As part of the petition or at any time after its filing, the attorney general may petition to have the record seized pending the determination of the court if the director and librarian or governing body finds the record is in danger of being destroyed, mutilated, altered, secreted, or removed from the state. (d) A state government record recovered under Subsection (c) shall be transferred to the custody of the commission or the state agency that originally demanded the return of the record. (e) If the attorney general recovers a record under Subsection (c), the court shall award attorney's fees and court costs to the attorney general. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 873, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 983 (H.B. 3756), Sec. 17, eff. September 1, 2009.