🔴Relating to the confidentiality of information used to prevent, detect, respond to, or investigate a hostile act of a foreign adversary of the United States.

HB 132

🔴 HB 132: Expands government secrecy with no public oversight

What it says it does:
HB 132 claims to protect Texas from foreign threats by allowing agencies to keep certain security-related information confidential.

What it actually changes:
It grants broad discretion to government entities to deny public records requests by labeling them related to a “hostile act by a foreign adversary.” There is no definition of that term in the bill. There is also no requirement for agencies to justify the denial, notify the public, or allow for appeal or review.

Who is pushing for it:
Support came from State Armor, a private security contractor, as well as local governments including the City of San Antonio, El Paso County, and Harris County. These entities testified in support of the bill. No opponents were listed in the files.

Who benefits:
Agencies and vendors gain legal protection from public scrutiny. Contractors can operate with reduced transparency. Local officials can withhold records that may otherwise expose failure, misuse, or liability.

Who gets left out or exposed:
Everyday Texans, especially journalists, families affected by agency failures, and watchdog organizations. Without a clear path for review, the public loses access to records that were previously available under Texas law.

Why this matters long term:
HB 132 sets a precedent for normalizing government secrecy under vague security language. It weakens the Texas Public Information Act and opens the door to similar carveouts in other sectors. The power to classify and deny is now unilateral and permanent.

What to watch next:
Expect attempts to expand this model to education, healthcare, broadband, or utilities. Also watch for increased reliance on private vendors whose records are shielded through government partnership. Legislative oversight will be harder to enforce without access to records.

Bottom line:
HB 132 gives state and local agencies the power to lock away public information indefinitely by citing an undefined security threat. There are no checks. No timelines. No appeals. Once the door closes, the public is left in the dark.