Public Information Act Handbook - Office of the Attorney General

PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT Handbook 2022

Dear Fellow Texans:

In 1888, James Bryce wrote that sunlight kills the germs of corruption that can infect a government, and his words remain true today. As Attorney General, I make it a priority to encourage open government and to enforce the laws that mandate it when necessary. The Texas Public Information Act assures that government entities give citizens access to information about what public servants are doing on their behalf--information they need to gain a more complete understanding of how their government works and hold their public officials accountable. Texas government does not belong to elected officials, but to the people of Texas.

This updated guide is intended to 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 publicinfo_hb.pdf. Where further help is needed, 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 the right to see how their government is spending their tax dollars and exercising the powers they have granted it. That knowledge is essential to preserving the rule of law, protecting the democratic process, and defending the liberty we all cherish. The Public Information Act is a critical protection for that right, and I am proud to offer this guide in service of that goal.

Best regards,

Ken Paxton Attorney General of Texas

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A PREFACE TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION 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 C. Certain Property Owners' Associations Subject to Act .............................................. 9 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 ............................................... 12

III. INFORMATION SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT ............................................ 14 A. Public Information is Contained in Records of All Forms ....................................... 14 B. Information Held by a Temporary Custodian ........................................................... 14 C. Exclusion of Tangible Items ...................................................................................... 15 D. Exclusion of Protected Health Information ............................................................... 16 E. Personal Notes and E-mail in Personal Accounts or Devices...................................16 F. Commercially Available Information........................................................................18

IV. PROCEDURES FOR ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION ........................................................ 18 A. Informing the Public of Basic Rights and Responsibilities Under the Act .............. 18 B. The Request for Public Information .......................................................................... 18 C. The Governmental Body's Duty to Produce Public Information Promptly ............. 22 D. The Requestor's Right of Access............................................................................... 25 E. Computer and Electronic Information ....................................................................... 28

V. DISCLOSURE TO SELECTED PERSONS ................................................................................... 30 A. General Rule: Under the Public Information Act, Public Information is Available to All Members of the Public .................................................................... 30 B. Some Disclosures of Information to Selected Individuals or Entities Do Not Constitute Disclosures to the Public Under Section 552.007 ................................... 31 1. Special Rights of Access: Exceptions to Disclosure Expressly Inapplicable to a Specific Class of Persons ....................................................31 2. Intra- or Intergovernmental Transfers ............................................................34 3. Other Limited Disclosures That Do Not Implicate Section 552.007..............35

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