The bill, SB 196, sponsored by Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would require that requests for public records receive an acknowledgement within six business days. The office would have 16 business days to make a decision to approve, deny or deny in part the request. If denied, the agency would need to provide a reason.

However, law enforcement agencies have often used the exception, sometimes referred to as the dead suspects loophole, to withhold information in cases in which suspects die in police custody or at the hands of police officers. KXAN-TV, an Austin television station, published an extensive series on the practice in 2018.