THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS PUBLIC ...

[Pages:50]THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS

PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT Handbook 2018

Dear Fellow Texans: As the Texas Constitution states, "All political power is inherent in the people," and that means a free government should work for the people, not the other way around. One of my priorities when I became Texas Attorney General in 2015 was to encourage open government ? and to enforce our laws that mandate it when necessary. The Texas Public Information Act sets requirements for the ability of citizens to access information on action taken by governmental bodies. Such transparency provides Texans with a more complete understanding of how their government works, and, when necessary, provides them an opportunity to hold their public officials accountable. Open government is vital to a free and informed society, and this updated guide will help both public officials and the people they serve understand and comply with the Texas Public Information Act. You can view or download the handbook by visiting files/og/publicinfo_hb.pdf. What's more, my office's Open Government Hotline is available to answer any questions about open government in Texas. The toll-free number is 877-OPEN TEX (877-673-6839). Texans have a right to know how their government is spending their tax dollars and exercising the powers granted by the people. Transparency and open decision-making are fundamental principles of the Texas Public Information Act, and they are essential to ensuring continued trust and confidence in officials and our government. Best regards,

Ken Paxton Attorney General of Texas

Post Office Box 12548, Austin, Texas 78711-2548 ? (512) 463-2100 ?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A PREFACE TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT HANDBOOK............................................................I

PART ONE: HOW THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT WORKS............................................................. 1

I. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 1 A. Historical Background ................................................................................................. 1 B. Policy; Construction ..................................................................................................... 1 C. Attorney General to Maintain Uniformity in Application, Operation and Interpretation of the Act ............................................................................................... 2 D. Section 552.021 ............................................................................................................ 2 E. Open Records Training ................................................................................................ 3

II. ENTITIES SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT ....................................................... 7 A. State and Local Governmental Bodies ........................................................................ 8 B. Private Entities ............................................................................................................. 8 1. Private Entities Supported by Public Funds .....................................................8 2. Private Entities Deemed Governmental Bodies by Statute ..............................8 D. A Governmental Body Holding Records for Another Governmental Body ............ 10 E. Private Entities Holding Records for Governmental Bodies .................................... 10 F. Judiciary Excluded from the Public Information Act ............................................... 11

III. INFORMATION SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT ............................................ 14 A. Public Information is Contained in Records of All Forms ....................................... 14 B. Exclusion of Tangible Items ...................................................................................... 14 C. Personal Notes and E-mail in Personal Accounts or Devices................................... 15

IV. PROCEDURES FOR ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION ........................................................ 17 A. Informing the Public of Basic Rights and Responsibilities Under the Act .............. 17 B. The Request for Public Information .......................................................................... 17 C. The Governmental Body's Duty to Produce Public Information Promptly ............. 19 D. The Requestor's Right of Access............................................................................... 22 1. Right to Inspect...............................................................................................24 2. Right to Obtain Copies ...................................................................................24 E. Computer and Electronic Information ....................................................................... 25

V. DISCLOSURE TO SELECTED PERSONS ................................................................................... 27 A. General Rule: Under the Public Information Act, Public Information is Available to All Members of the Public .................................................................... 27 B. Some Disclosures of Information to Selected Individuals or Entities Do Not Constitute Disclosures to the Public Under Section 552.007 ................................... 27 1. Special Rights of Access: Exceptions to Disclosure Expressly Inapplicable to a Specific Class of Persons ....................................................28 a. Special Rights of Access Under the Public Information Act ................. 28

i. Information for Legislative Use ...................................................... 28 ii. Information About the Person Who Is Requesting the

Information ...................................................................................... 29 iii. Information in a Student or Education Record................................ 30 b. Special Rights of Access Created by Other Statutes .............................. 31 2. Intra- or Intergovernmental Transfers ............................................................31 3. Other Limited Disclosures That Do Not Implicate Section 552.007..............32

VI. ATTORNEY GENERAL DETERMINES WHETHER INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO AN EXCEPTION................................................................................................................. 33

A. Duties of the Governmental Body and of the Attorney General Under Subchapter G .............................................................................................................. 33

B. Items the Governmental Body Must Submit to the Attorney General ..................... 37 1. Written Communication from the Person Requesting the Information ..........38 2. Information Requested from the Governmental Body ...................................38 3. Labeling Requested Information to Indicate Which Exceptions Apply to Which Parts of the Requested Information.................................................38 4. Statement or Evidence as to Date Governmental Body Received Written Request ..............................................................................................39 5. Letter from the Governmental Body Stating Which Exceptions Apply and Why..........................................................................................................39

C. Section 552.302: Information Presumed Public if Submissions and Notification Required by Section 552.301 Are Not Timely ..................................... 40

D. Section 552.303: Attorney General Determination that Information in Addition to that Required by Section 552.301 Is Necessary to Render a Decision ...................................................................................................................... 41

E. Section 552.305: When the Requested Information Involves a Third Party's Privacy or Property Interests......................................................................................42

F. Section 552.3035: Attorney General Must Not Disclose Information at Issue ........................................................................................................................ 44

G. Section 552.304: Submission of Public Comments ................................................. 44 H. Rendition of Attorney General Decision ................................................................... 44 I. Timeliness of Action .................................................................................................. 44

VII. COST OF COPIES AND ACCESS...............................................................................................45 A. Charges for Copies of Paper Records and Printouts of Electronic Records.............45 B. Charges for Inspection of Paper Records and Electronic Records ........................... 48 C. Waivers or Reduction of Estimated Charges ............................................................ 49 D. Providing a Statement of Estimated Charges as Required by Law .......................... 49 E. Cost Provisions Regarding Requests Requiring a Large Amount of Personnel Time...........................................................................................................51 F. Complaints Regarding Alleged Overcharges ............................................................ 52 G. Cost Provisions Outside the Public Information Act ................................................ 52

VIII. PENALTIES AND REMEDIES....................................................................................................53 A. Informal Resolution of Complaints ........................................................................... 53

B. Criminal Penalties ...................................................................................................... 53 C. Civil Remedies ........................................................................................................... 54

1. Writ of Mandamus ..........................................................................................54 2. Violations of the Act: Declaratory Judgment or Injunctive Relief;

Formal Complaints .........................................................................................54 a. Venue and Proper Party to Bring Suit .................................................... 55 b. Suit Pursuant to Formal Complaint ........................................................ 55 c. Procedures for Formal Complaint .......................................................... 55 d. Governmental Body Must Be Given Opportunity to Cure

Violation ................................................................................................. 56 e. Cumulative Remedy ............................................................................... 56 3. Suits Over an Open Records Ruling ...............................................................56 4. Discovery and Court's In Camera Review of Information Under Protective Order..............................................................................................57 D. Assessment of Costs of Litigation and Reasonable Attorney's Fees ....................... 58

IX. PRESERVATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RECORDS ............................................................... 58

X. PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT DISTINGUISHED FROM CERTAIN OTHER STATUTES.............59 A. Authority of the Attorney General to Issue Attorney General Opinions..................59 B. Texas Open Meetings Act..........................................................................................60 C. Discovery Proceedings...............................................................................................60

PART TWO: EXCEPTIONS TO DISCLOSURE ................................................................................... 61

I.

INFORMATION GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO BE PUBLIC ................................................... 61

A. Section 552.022 Categories of Information............................................................... 61

1. Discovery Privileges .......................................................................................61

2. Court Order .....................................................................................................62

B. Certain Investment Information.................................................................................62

C. Other Kinds of Information that May Not Be Withheld ........................................... 64

II. EXCEPTIONS ........................................................................................................................... 64 A. Section 552.101: Confidential Information .............................................................. 64 1. Information Confidential Under Specific Statutes .........................................65 a. State Statutes .......................................................................................... 65 b. Federal Statutes ...................................................................................... 67 2. Information Confidential by Judicial Decision...............................................68 a. Information Confidential Under Common Law or Constitutional Privacy Doctrine ..................................................................................... 68 i. Common-Law Privacy .................................................................... 68 (a) Generally ...................................................................................68 (b) Financial Information................................................................70 ii. Constitutional Privacy ..................................................................... 71 iii. Privacy Rights Lapse upon Death of the Subject ............................ 72

iv. False-Light Privacy ......................................................................... 72 v. Special Circumstances..................................................................... 72 vi. Dates of Birth of Members of the Public ........................................ 73 b. Informer's Privilege................................................................................ 73 B. Section 552.102: Confidentiality of Certain Personnel Information ....................... 74 1. Dates of Birth of Public Employees ...............................................................75 2. Transcripts of Professional Public School Employees ...................................75 C. Section 552.103: Litigation or Settlement Negotiations Involving the State or a Political Subdivision ........................................................................................... 75 1. Governmental Body's Burden ........................................................................76 2. Only Circumstances Existing at the Time of the Request ..............................77 3. Temporal Nature of Section 552.103..............................................................77 4. Scope of Section 552.103 ...............................................................................78 5. Duration of Section 552.103 for Criminal Litigation .....................................78 D. Section 552.104: Information Relating to Competition or Bidding ........................ 79 E. Section 552.105: Information Related to Location or Price of Property.................79 F. Section 552.106: Certain Legislative Documents .................................................... 80 G. Section 552.107: Certain Legal Matters ................................................................... 82 1. Information Within the Attorney-Client Privilege .........................................82 a. Attorney Fee Bills................................................................................... 84 b. Information a Private Attorney Holds for the Governmental Body ....... 84 c. Waiver of the Attorney-Client Privilege ................................................ 85 2. Information Protected by Court Order............................................................85 H. Section 552.108: Certain Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Prosecutorial Information .................................................................................................................. 85 1. The Meaning of "Law Enforcement Agency" and the Applicability of Section 552.108 to Other Units of Government .............................................86 2. Application of Section 552.108 ......................................................................88 a. Interference with Detection, Investigation, or Prosecution of Crime ...................................................................................................... 88 i. Information Relating to the Detection, Investigation, or

Prosecution of Crime....................................................................... 89 ii. Internal Records of a Law Enforcement Agency ............................ 89 b. Concluded Cases .................................................................................... 91 c. Information Relating to a Threat Against a Peace Officer or Detention Officer.................................................................................... 91 d. Prosecutor Information ........................................................................... 91 3. Limitations on Scope of Section 552.108.......................................................92 4. Application of Section 552.108 to Information Relating to Police Officers and Complaints Against Police Officers ..........................................93 a. Personnel Files of Police Officers Serving in Civil Service Cities ........ 94 5. Other Related Law Enforcement Records ......................................................95 a. Criminal History Information................................................................. 95 b. Juvenile Law Enforcement Records ....................................................... 96

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