JIMMATTOX :ttornsy General
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mMaInPtua. Suite400 .” Antonlo.TX.782052797 5121225.4191

nEqualOpportunilyl Alflrmative Acllon Employer 

# TheAttorney General ofTexas

December 28, 1984

Mr.Bill Rale gxccutive Director Texas Commission onBumanRights P. 0. Box 13493. Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 Opinion No. JM-275 Re: Whether the confidentiality provisions of article 5221k, V.T.C.S., apply to local human relations commissions Dear Mr.Ralc: Article 5221k. ‘I..T.C.S.. authorizes referral actions between the Texas Cmission on HumanRights and local human rights commissions with regard to certain employment discrimination complaints. See 64.01 et seq. In light of this unique state-local working relati= ship, you ask whether the act’s confidentiality provision applies to complaints referred bythe state commission to local commissions. The confidentiality provision of article 5221k protects certain complaint-related information which the Texas Open Records Act, V.T.C.S. art. 6252-17a. might otherwise require be disclosed. This provision, section 8.02(a). provides that

[aln officw: or employee of the commission maynot make publi,: any information obtained by the commission under its authority under Section 6.01 of this Act except as necessary to the conduct of aproceedi:iS under this Act. The Open Records Act recognizes statutory confidentiality provisions such as ,rection 8.02(a) as exceptions to required public disclosure. V.T.C.!;., art. 6252-17a, 13(a) (1). Consequently, when information which frdls within section 8.02(a) is held by the state cosssisslon. it mayr.ct be disclosed. Section 8.02(a) prohibits “[aIn officer or employee of the commission ” **from** disclosing certain information. “Coami:ssion ” in article 5221k refers to the Texas Cmisslon on Aumaa Rights. See 12.01(2) ; compare 12.01(9). The provision does not apply directlyto local commissions. Nevertheless, you ask whether thls information retains its confidential character when it is transi’erred from the state conrmission to a local commission.

p. 1222Mr.gill gale - Page 2 (J&275)

A preliminary clarification of the kind of local action 

### in question is necessary. Arti,cle 5221k providea for two distinct methods that political subdivi~~!lons mayemploy to promote freedom from employment discrimination. Al:l:orttey General Opinion JM-228 (1984). Section 4.01 of the act authorizes the adoption and enforcement of local ordinances that prohibit practices designated as unlawful under article 5221k or under other laws. This type of local action does not involve a system of referralli from the state commission. Any protection **from** disclosure of Information related to employment discrimination complaints which are made solely pursuant to local ordinances must stem from the exceptions found within the Texas Open Records Act. See V.T.C.S. art.

common-law 6252-17a, 13; see (including and constitutional -a’ ::I:; I:; (informatlon relating to litig,rrion). The second type of local. action provided for in article 5221k involves referrals from the state comlssion. See 5$4.03(5), 4,04(a). These actions are guided by article 522lkyather. than by the provisions of alocal ordinance. See a-228 (1984). Yousuggest that section 8.02(a) protects inf.omxon transferred from the state commission to local commissions in these referral actions. Weagree with your sugglrstion that, because **of** the authorized state-local interaction, the state-level protection of section 8.02 is not lost when protected infcrmatlon is transferred from the state codsalon to a local commission pursuant to sections 4.03 and 4.04 of article 5221k. This conclusion results fromthe express authorization for such referrals and from the continuing supervision the state commission exercises over the referred complaints. See 54.04(b). Numerous attorney general opinions indicate that -&f idential information maybe transferred **from**one state agency to another state agency without destroying the confidential character of the information. See, e.g., Attorney General Opinions H-917 (1976); H-242 (1974). Similarly, confident:ial information may be disclosabI,e to county and municipal governments vhen they act as quasi-agencies of the state. Attorney General Cpinion H-636 (1976). Nevertheless, the protection of article 5221k from public disclosure extends only to the! Information covered by section 8.02(a). Section 8.02(a) grants confiden.tial status , except as necessary to the conduct of a proceeding under article 5221k. to “any information obtained by the cosm&rsion under its authority under Section 6.01 of this Act.

. . .‘I The confidentiality of other information would depend upon specific provisionc; of the OpenRecords Act. Section 6.01 deals with state commission actions to encourage voluntary resolution of complaints. Persons who have initiated actions in court or who have actions pending before an administrative agency may not file a complaint with respect to the same grievance under section 6.01.

p. 1223Hr. Bill gals **- Pags** **3 (JH-27!i)** 

Consequently, the ecope of the confidentiality protection of section 8.02(a) is limited.

Information regarding employment discrimination compl~~;;l;hich is protected by section 8.02(a) of 5221k retains it8 confidential character when it is transferred from **the** Texas C&ssion 

### onEumanRights to a local humsn rights conmission pursuant to section 4.04 of article 5221k. 

# JIqJdck

Attorney General of Texas
TOMGRBRN First Assistant Attorney Generr:l DAVIDR. RICRARDS Executive Assistant Attorney General RICltGILPIN Chairman, Opinion Cmittee Prepared byJennifer Riggs Assistant Attorney General APPROVED: OPINION

COWnITTEE Rick Gilpin, Chairman Colin Carl Susan Garrison TonyGuillory JimMoellinger Jennifer Riggs NancySutton

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