Sen. Jeff Wilson proposes bill to amend state 'Sunshine Committee'

Nineteenth Legislative District state Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, has prefiled legislation he says will help overhaul the state's Sunshine Committee and streamline public disclosure requests.

In a news release Friday, Wilson said Senate Bill 5779 would combat the rising number of exemptions to the state's public records law, though the bill does not address longstanding questions around legislative privilege.

If passed, the bill would require the Sunshine Committee to report to the "relevant committees" in the House and Senate and would amend its meeting schedule from "quarterly" to "four-times-a-year." The bill would also provide additional funding for the Attorney General's Office to provide staff support, which Wilson said would establish an "expectation" for staff support.

Wilson also plans to introduce legislation to create a pilot project where agencies review often requested items in advance and publish them online, thus reducing the need for a public records requests.

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