Source: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opinions/openrecords/50abbott/orl/2002/htm/or200207097.htm
Timestamp: 2017-01-20 16:35:47
Document Index: 330614607

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 159', '§ 159', '§ 159', '§ 58', '§ 261', '§ 58', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 405', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 51']

Abbott Open Records Letter Ruling OR2002-7097 Office of the ATTORNEY GENERAL
OR2002-7097
chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 173556.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (the "department") received a request for a copy of
a specified administrative investigation file. You indicate that you are prepared to provide
the requestor with some responsive information. You claim, however, that portions of the
remaining requested information are excepted from disclosure pursuant to sections 552.101,
552.1175, and 552.130 of the Government Code.(1) We have considered the exceptions you claim and have reviewed the submitted information.
You claim that a portion of the information at issue is subject to the Medical Practice Act
(the "MPA"), subtitle B of title 3 of the Occupations Code. The MPA provides that "a record
of the identity, diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a patient by a physician that is created
or maintained by a physician is confidential and privileged and may not be disclosed except
as provided by this chapter." Occupations Code § 159.002(b). This office has concluded
that the protection afforded by section 159.002 extends only to records created by either a
physician or someone under the supervision of a physician. See Open Records Decision
Nos. 487 (1987), 370 (1983), 343 (1982). Medical records must be released upon the
governmental body's receipt of the patient's signed, written consent, provided that the
consent specifies (1) the information to be covered by the release, (2) reasons or purposes for
the release, and (3) the person to whom the information is to be released. See Occ. Code
§§ 159.004, .005. Section 159.002(c) also requires that any subsequent release of medical
records be consistent with the purposes for which the governmental body obtained the
records. See Open Records Decision No. 565 at 7 (1990). Thus, the information that we
have marked as subject to the MPA may only be disclosed in accordance with the access
provisions of that statute. See Occ. Code § 159.005(a)(5), (b); see also Open Records Decision Nos. 598 (1991), 546 (1990) (finding that because hospital treatment is routinely
conducted under supervision of physicians, documents relating to diagnosis and treatment
during hospital stay would constitute protected MPA records). Absent the applicability of
an MPA access provision, we conclude that the department must withhold this information
pursuant to the MPA.
You also claim that portions of the information at issue are excepted from disclosure
pursuant to section 552.101 in conjunction with section 58.007 of the Family Code.(2) Juvenile law enforcement records relating to conduct that occurred on or after September 1, 1997 are confidential under section 58.007. Section 58.007 states in pertinent part:
Fam. Code § 58.007(c). We note that portions of the information at issue, which we have
marked, concern law enforcement records and files pertaining to juvenile conduct that
occurred after September 1, 1997.(3) Accordingly, as it appears that none of the exceptions in section 58.007 apply to this marked information, we conclude that the department must withhold this information pursuant to section 552.101 of the Government Code in
We note that a portion of the information at issue is subject to section 552.101 in conjunction
with section 261.201 of the Family Code. Section 261.201 provides in part:
Fam. Code § 261.201(a). Portions of the information at issue, which we have marked,
concern reports of alleged or suspected abuse made under chapter 261. The department has
not indicated that it has adopted a rule that governs the release of this type of information. We, therefore, assume that no such regulation exists. Given that assumption, we conclude
that the department must withhold the information that we have marked pursuant to
section 552.101 in conjunction with section 261.201 of the Family Code. See Open Records
Decision No. 440 at 2 (1986) (predecessor statute).
In addition, you claim that portions of the information at issue are excepted from disclosure
pursuant to section 552.101 in conjunction with the common-law right to privacy. We note
that section 552.101 also encompasses the common-law right to privacy. Common-law
privacy protects information from disclosure if (1) it is highly intimate or embarrassing such
that its publication would be highly objectionable to a reasonable person, and (2) it is not of
legitimate concern to the public. See Industrial Found. v. Texas Indus. Accident Bd., 540
S.W.2d 668, 685 (Tex. 1976), cert. denied, 430 U.S. 931 (1977). The type of information
considered intimate and embarrassing by the Texas Supreme Court in Industrial Foundation
included information relating to sexual assault, pregnancy, mental or physical abuse in the
and injuries to sexual organs. See id. at 683. Prior decisions of this office have also found
that personal financial information not relating to a financial transaction between an
individual and a governmental body is protected from disclosure under the common-law right
to privacy. See Open Records Decision Nos. 600 (1992), 545 (1990).
Based on our review of your arguments and the information at issue, we find that the entirety
of the submitted videotape, as well as the name and identifying information of one of the
juveniles contained in the submitted documents, which we have marked, are protected from
disclosure under the common-law right to privacy. Accordingly, we conclude that the
department must withhold this information pursuant to section 552.101 in conjunction with
the common-law right to privacy. Cf. Fam. Code §§ 58.007, 261.201. We have also marked
some personal financial information not relating to a financial transaction between an
individual and a governmental body that the department must withhold pursuant to section
552.101 in conjunction with the common-law right to privacy. Furthermore, we note that the
release of portions of the information at issue, which we have not marked, would implicate
the common-law privacy interests of the requestor. However, since the requestor has a
special right of access to this information, we conclude that the department may not withhold
any portion of this particular information from the requestor under section 552.101 of the
Government Code in conjunction with the common-law right to privacy. See Gov't Code
§ 552.023 (providing that individual has limited special right of access to information when
only basis for excepting information from disclosure involves protection of same individual's
privacy interest); see also Open Records Decision No. 481 (1987).(4)
pursuant to section 552.130 of the Government Code. Section 552.130 excepts information
from disclosure that relates to a motor vehicle operator's or driver's license or permit issued
by an agency of this state or a motor vehicle title or registration issued by an agency of this
state. See Gov't Code § 552.130. Accordingly, we conclude that the department must
withhold the Texas driver's license numbers that we have marked in the submitted
information pursuant to section 552.130 of the Government Code.
We also note that portions of the information at issue are excepted from disclosure pursuant
to section 552.117(2) of the Government Code. Section 552.117(2) excepts from disclosure
a peace officer's home address, home telephone number, social security number, and
information indicating whether the peace officer has family members, regardless of whether
the peace officer made an election under section 552.024 of the Government Code. See
Gov't Code § 552.117(2). Section 552.117(2) applies to peace officers as defined by
article 2.12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Accordingly, we conclude that the
department must withhold the information that we have marked pursuant to section
552.117(2) of the Government Code.(5)
We note, however, that the social security numbers of other individuals noted in the
submitted information, may be confidential under federal law. The 1990 amendments to the
federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(viii)(I), make confidential social
security numbers and related records that are obtained or maintained by a state agency or
political subdivision of the state pursuant to any provision of law enacted on or after
October 1, 1990. See Open Records Decision No. 622 (1994). The department has cited no
law, nor are we are aware of any law, enacted on or after October 1, 1990, that authorizes it
to obtain or maintain these social security numbers. Therefore, we have no basis for
concluding they are confidential under federal law. We caution the department, however,
that section 552.352 of the Government Code imposes criminal penalties for the release of
confidential information. Prior to releasing these social security numbers, the department
should ensure that they were not obtained or are not maintained by the department pursuant
In summary, absent the applicability of an MPA access provision, the department must
withhold the information that we have marked pursuant to the MPA. The department must
withhold the information that we have marked pursuant to section 552.101 of the
Government Code in conjunction with section 58.007 of the Family Code. The department
must withhold the information that we have marked pursuant to section 552.101 in
conjunction with section 261.201 of the Family Code. The department must withhold the
information that we have marked, to include the submitted videotape in its entirety, pursuant
to section 552.101 in conjunction with the common-law right to privacy. The department
must withhold the Texas driver's license numbers that we have marked pursuant to section
552.130 of the Government Code. The department must withhold the information that we
have marked pursuant to section 552.117(2) of the Government Code. The social security
numbers of other individuals noted in the submitted documents may be confidential under
federal law. The department must release the remaining submitted information to the
requestor in its entirety.
Ref:	ID# 173556
c:	MS. SONYA BARNETTE
512 JENNIFER TRAIL
1. Although the department did not claim that any portion of the requested information was excepted from disclosure pursuant to section 552.130 of the Government Code within ten business days of the department's receipt of the written request, we will address the department's claim under section 552.130 since such a claim constitutes a compelling interest that is sufficient to overcome the existing presumption that the requested information is now public. See Gov't Code §§ 552.301(b), .302; see also Open Records Decision Nos. 150 at 2 (1977), 319 (1982).
2. Section 552.101 of the Government Code excepts from disclosure information considered to be confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision. See Gov't Code § 552.101. Section 552.101 encompasses information that is protected from disclosure by other statutes.
3. A "child" is defined in the Family Code as a person who is ten years of age or older and under seventeen years of age. See Fam. Code § 51.02(2).
4. We emphasize, however, that if the department receives another request for information that relates to the requestor, and the person that requests the information does not have a special right of access to it under section 552.023 of the Government Code, then the department should resubmit the information to this office for our review and request another ruling.
5. Because we base our ruling regarding this particular type of information on section 552.117(2), we need not address the applicability of your claim regarding section 552.1175 of the Government Code. POST OFFICE BOX 12548, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2548 TEL: (512) 463-2100 WEB: WWW.OAG.STATE.TX.US