Bill > HB1563

This bill amends three different sections of the Texas Health and Safety Code to protect the confidentiality of Tier Two forms, which are documents that facilities use to report information about hazardous chemicals they store. Specifically, the bill stipulates that Tier Two forms in the possession of political subdivisions (like local governments) are confidential and not subject to public disclosure under the state's open records law. Political subdivisions may only release these forms or their information to the public under two limited circumstances: if the form has already been made publicly available by the state commission, or if the released information only identifies a class of dangerous goods using the hazard classification system from the 2024 U.S. Department of Transportation Emergency Response Guidebook. This means that detailed information about specific hazardous chemicals at local facilities will remain confidential, with only very broad, generalized information potentially being shared. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, and aims to protect sensitive information about hazardous chemical storage while still allowing for some limited public transparency.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1563