File one public information request
20 minutes · Module 5
LAW
Why this one
It costs a stamp and creates a record the agency has to answer. A pattern in an agency's own records is the only durable foundation for anything that follows.
Copy this and fill in the brackets
Subject: Public Information Act request To the public information officer for [entity]: Under the Texas Public Information Act, I request copies of the following records: 1. [Type of record, for example: invoices paid to any vendor for legal services] for the period [start date] through [end date]. 2. [Second category, for example: email correspondence between [office] and [vendor]] for the same period. I prefer electronic copies sent by email. If any portion of this request is unclear, please contact me rather than denying it and I will narrow it. If costs will exceed $[amount], please provide an estimate before proceeding. [Your name], [address], [email], [phone]
Three things that make it work
- Name the records, not the topic. Ask for invoices and emails, not 'information about'.
- Always give a date range. Open-ended requests invite big cost estimates.
- Keep a copy of what you sent and the date you sent it.