Title GV, Government Code

Sec. 552.0035. ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF JUDICIARY. (a) Access to information collected, assembled, or maintained by or for the judiciary is governed by rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Texas or by other applicable laws and rules. (b) This section does not address whether inf…

Sec. 552.0036. CERTAIN PROPERTY OWNERS' ASSOCIATIONS SUBJECT TO LAW. A property owners' association is subject to this chapter in the same manner as a governmental body: (1) if: (A) membership in the property owners' association is mandatory for owners or for a defined class of o…

Sec. 552.0038. PUBLIC RETIREMENT SYSTEMS SUBJECT TO LAW. (a) In this section, "governing body of a public retirement system" and "public retirement system" have the meanings assigned those terms by Section 802.001. (b) Except as provided by Subsections (c) through (i), the govern…

Sec. 552.004. PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION. (a) A governmental body or, for information of an elective county office, the elected county officer, may determine a time for which information that is not currently in use will be preserved, subject to Subsection (b) and to any applica…

Sec. 552.005. EFFECT OF CHAPTER ON SCOPE OF CIVIL DISCOVERY. (a) This chapter does not affect the scope of civil discovery under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. (b) Exceptions from disclosure under this chapter do not create new privileges from discovery. Added by Acts 1993, …

Sec. 552.0055. SUBPOENA DUCES TECUM OR DISCOVERY REQUEST. A subpoena duces tecum or a request for discovery that is issued in compliance with a statute or a rule of civil or criminal procedure is not considered to be a request for information under this chapter. Added by Acts 199…

Sec. 552.006. EFFECT OF CHAPTER ON WITHHOLDING PUBLIC INFORMATION. This chapter does not authorize the withholding of public information or limit the availability of public information to the public, except as expressly provided by this chapter. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch.…

Sec. 552.007. VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION WHEN DISCLOSURE NOT REQUIRED. (a) This chapter does not prohibit a governmental body or its officer for public information from voluntarily making part or all of its information available to the public, unless the disclosu…

Sec. 552.008. INFORMATION FOR LEGISLATIVE PURPOSES. (a) This chapter does not grant authority to withhold information from individual members, agencies, or committees of the legislature to use for legislative purposes. (b) A governmental body on request by an individual member, a…

Sec. 552.009. OPEN RECORDS STEERING COMMITTEE: ADVICE TO ATTORNEY GENERAL; ELECTRONIC AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a) The open records steering committee is composed of two representatives of the attorney general's office and: (1) a representative of each of the following…

Sec. 552.010. STATE GOVERNMENTAL BODIES: FISCAL AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO MAKING INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE. (a) Each state governmental body shall report to the attorney general the information the attorney general requires regarding: (1) the number and nature of requests fo…

Sec. 552.011. UNIFORMITY. The attorney general shall maintain uniformity in the application, operation, and interpretation of this chapter. To perform this duty, the attorney general may prepare, distribute, and publish any materials, including detailed and comprehensive written …

Sec. 552.012. OPEN RECORDS TRAINING. (a) This section applies to an elected or appointed public official who is: (1) a member of a multimember governmental body; (2) the governing officer of a governmental body that is headed by a single officer rather than by a multimember gover…

Sec. 552.021. AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION. Public information is available to the public at a minimum during the normal business hours of the governmental body. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 1035, S…

Sec. 552.0215. RIGHT OF ACCESS TO CERTAIN INFORMATION AFTER 75 YEARS. (a) Except as provided by Section 552.147, the confidentiality provisions of this chapter, or other law, information that is not confidential but is excepted from required disclosure under Subchapter C is publi…

Sec. 552.022. CATEGORIES OF PUBLIC INFORMATION; EXAMPLES. (a) Without limiting the amount or kind of information that is public information under this chapter, the following categories of information are public information and not excepted from required disclosure unless made con…

Sec. 552.0221. EMPLOYEE OR TRUSTEE OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSION SYSTEM. (a) Information concerning the employment of an employee of a public employee pension system is public information under the terms of this chapter, including information concerning the income, salary, benefits,…

Sec. 552.0222. DISCLOSURE OF CONTRACTING INFORMATION. (a) Contracting information is public and must be released unless excepted from disclosure under this chapter. (b) The exceptions to disclosure provided by Sections 552.110 and 552.1101 do not apply to the following types of c…

Sec. 552.0225. RIGHT OF ACCESS TO INVESTMENT INFORMATION. (a) Under the fundamental philosophy of American government described by Section 552.001, it is the policy of this state that investments of government are investments of and for the people and the people are entitled to i…

Sec. 552.023. SPECIAL RIGHT OF ACCESS TO CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. (a) A person or a person's authorized representative has a special right of access, beyond the right of the general public, to information held by a governmental body that relates to the person and that is protect…

Sec. 552.024. ELECTING TO DISCLOSE ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), each employee or official of a governmental body and each former employee or official of a governmental body shall choose whether to allow public access to the information…

Sec. 552.025. TAX RULINGS AND OPINIONS. (a) A governmental body with taxing authority that issues a written determination letter, technical advice memorandum, or ruling that concerns a tax matter shall index the letter, memorandum, or ruling by subject matter. (b) On request, the…

Sec. 552.026. EDUCATION RECORDS. This chapter does not require the release of information contained in education records of an educational agency or institution, except in conformity with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Sec. 513, Pub. L. No. 93-380, 20 U.S.…

Sec. 552.027. EXCEPTION: INFORMATION AVAILABLE COMMERCIALLY; RESOURCE MATERIAL. (a) A governmental body is not required under this chapter to allow the inspection of or to provide a copy of information in a commercial book or publication purchased or acquired by the governmental …

Sec. 552.028. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL. (a) A governmental body is not required to accept or comply with a request for information from: (1) an individual who is imprisoned or confined in a correctional facility; or (2) an agent of that individual, oth…

Sec. 552.029. RIGHT OF ACCESS TO CERTAIN INFORMATION RELATING TO INMATE OF DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. Notwithstanding Section 508.313 or 552.134, the following information about an inmate who is confined in a facility operated by or under a contract with the Texas Department…

Sec. 552.101. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if it is information considered to be confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1…

Sec. 552.102. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN PERSONNEL INFORMATION. (a) Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if it is information in a personnel file, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, e…

Sec. 552.103. EXCEPTION: LITIGATION OR SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS INVOLVING THE STATE OR A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. (a) Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if it is information relating to litigation of a civil or criminal nature to which the state or a po…

Sec. 552.104. EXCEPTION: INFORMATION RELATED TO COMPETITION OR BIDDING. (a) Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if a governmental body demonstrates that release of the information would harm its interests by providing an advantage to a competitor or b…

Sec. 552.105. EXCEPTION: INFORMATION RELATED TO LOCATION OR PRICE OF PROPERTY. Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if it is information relating to: (1) the location of real or personal property for a public purpose prior to public announcement of the…

Sec. 552.106. EXCEPTION: CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTS. (a) A draft or working paper involved in the preparation of proposed legislation is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021. (b) An internal bill analysis or working paper prepared by the governor's office for the …

Sec. 552.107. EXCEPTION: CERTAIN LEGAL MATTERS. Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if: (1) it is information that the attorney general or an attorney of a political subdivision is prohibited from disclosing because of a duty to the client under the T…

Sec. 552.108. EXCEPTION: CERTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT, CORRECTIONS, AND PROSECUTORIAL INFORMATION. (a) Information held by a law enforcement agency or prosecutor that deals with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crime is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 …

Sec. 552.1081. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION REGARDING EXECUTION OF CONVICT. Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if it contains identifying information under Article 43.14, Code of Criminal Procedure, including that of: (1) any per…

Sec. 552.1085. CONFIDENTIALITY OF SENSITIVE CRIME SCENE IMAGE. (a) In this section: (1) "Deceased person's next of kin" means: (A) the surviving spouse of the deceased person; (B) if there is no surviving spouse of the deceased, an adult child of the deceased person; or (C) if th…

Sec. 552.109. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS OF AN ELECTED OFFICE HOLDER. Private correspondence or communications of an elected office holder relating to matters the disclosure of which would constitute an invasion of privacy are excepted from the r…

Sec. 552.110. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF TRADE SECRETS; CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN COMMERCIAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION. (a) In this section, "trade secret" means all forms and types of information, including business, scientific, technical, economic, or engineering information…

Sec. 552.1101. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. (a) Except as provided by Section 552.0222, information submitted to a governmental body by a vendor, contractor, potential vendor, or potential contractor in response to a request for a bid, proposal, or quali…

Sec. 552.111. EXCEPTION: AGENCY MEMORANDA. An interagency or intraagency memorandum or letter that would not be available by law to a party in litigation with the agency is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sep…

Sec. 552.112. EXCEPTION: CERTAIN INFORMATION RELATING TO REGULATION OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS OR SECURITIES. (a) Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if it is information contained in or relating to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared…

Sec. 552.113. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF GEOLOGICAL OR GEOPHYSICAL INFORMATION. (a) Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if it is: (1) an electric log confidential under Subchapter M, Chapter 91, Natural Resources Code; (2) geological or geophysical…

Sec. 552.114. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS. (a) In this section, "student record" means: (1) information that constitutes education records as that term is defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g(a)(4)); or (2) in…

Sec. 552.115. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF BIRTH AND DEATH RECORDS. (a) A birth or death record maintained by the vital statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services or a local registration official is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021, except that: …

Sec. 552.116. EXCEPTION: AUDIT WORKING PAPERS. (a) An audit working paper of an audit of the state auditor or the auditor of a state agency, an institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, a county, a municipality, a school district, a hospital di…

Sec. 552.117. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN ADDRESSES, TELEPHONE NUMBERS, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, AND PERSONAL FAMILY INFORMATION. (a) Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if it is information that relates to the home address, home telephone n…