Source: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opinions/openrecords/49cornyn/orl/2000/htm/or200002097.htm
Timestamp: 2017-01-17 13:00:36
Document Index: 488800618

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\n552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552']

Mr. Bradford R. Breuer
OR2000-2097
Dear Mr. Breuer:
chapter552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 135676.
The Alamo received a request for an "audited statement." You explain:
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Inc. (DRT) serve as custodians of
the Alamo Shrine and grounds in San Antonio, Texas. In its capacity as
custodian of state property, the DRT does not receive tax revenues from the
State of Texas, however, the funds generated from donations and sales in the
Gift Museum are used to preserve the Alamo's structure and grounds. These
funds collected are considered State funds and the DRT in its capacity as
trustee for the fund, files annual audited financial reports with the State of
Texas. . . . Realizing that the DRT may well be under the definition of a
"governmental body" (as defined by the [Public Information Act]) insofar as
our role in expending state trust funds, we are unsure whether we must
disclose the audited financial reports of our organization to [the requestor.]
Thus, you inquire as to whether the DRT in its capacity as custodian of the Alamo is a
governmental body for purposes of the Public Information Act (the "Act") and you indicate
that the information that is responsive to the request for an "audited statement" consists of
"audited financial reports filed with the State of Texas."(1) You also state that the requested information may be excepted from disclosure under sections 552.101, 552.104, and 552.110 of the Government Code. We have considered your contentions and the exceptions you
claim and we have reviewed the information you have submitted.
As to your inquiry of whether the DRT is a governmental body "in its capacity as custodian
of state property," we note that this office has previously addressed this issue. See Open
Records Letter Nos. 88-352 (1988), 88-344 (1988), 88-192 (1988). In Open Records Letter
No. 88-344 (1988), we specifically stated that the DRT "is subject to the [Public Information
Act] to the extent that it receives public funds for the management of the Alamo. All
information regarding the collection, management, and expenditure of those funds is public." We have no indication that any of the facts or circumstances have changed since the issuance
of these prior rulings which would today require a different result. See also Gov't Code §
552.003(1)(A)(x) (governmental body includes the part, section, or portion of a corporation
that spends or that is supported in whole or in part by public funds). Thus, we conclude that
the DRT is a governmental body in this instance because the request seeks information
concerning the collection, management, or expenditure of public funds.
As to your request for a decision, and in pertinent part, we note that section 552.301 of the
Government Code provides that, "no later than the 15th business day after the date of
receiving the written request," the governmental body must submit to the attorney general:
Gov't Code § 552.301(e)(1)(A), (B), (C), (D). Otherwise, the requested information "is
compelling reason to withhold the information." Gov't Code § 552.302.
With respect to subsection (A) above, you have submitted no comments in support of the
claimed exceptions, nor have you otherwise explained to this office how the above-stated
exceptions would allow the information at issue to be withheld. As to subsection (C) above,
you did not provide a signed statement of the date on which the written request for
information was received. However, our review of the request itself indicates that it is dated
and contains a facsimile notation of March 21, 2000. We find this constitutes evidence
sufficient to conclude that the Alamo received the request on that date. As to subsection (D)
above, you submitted neither a copy of the specific information requested, nor a
representative sample of that information. Thus, because you did not properly comply with
section 552.301 and pursuant to section 552.302, the information that is responsive to the
request is presumed to be subject to required public disclosure and must be released unless
there is a compelling reason to withhold the information.
Additionally, by correspondence sent to you by facsimile on May 9, 2000 under section
552.303 of the Government Code, this office requested additional information from you to
aid this office in rendering a decision. See Gov't Code § 552.303. The May 9th correspondence informed you that the Alamo had seven calendar days to submit to this office the additional information requested. Gov't Code § 552.303(d). To date, we have received
no additional information from you. See Gov't Code § 552.303(e) (failure to timely provide
this office the information requested under section 552.303 results in the presumption that
the information responsive to the request is public information and must be released unless
there exists a compelling reason to withhold the information). Therefore, we next address
whether you have demonstrated a compelling reason under sections 552.302 and 552.303(e)
for the information at issue to be withheld from the public.
With respect to the section 552.101 claim, you have not explained, nor is it apparent to this
office, that the information that is responsive to the request is made "confidential by law,
either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision." Gov't Code § 552.101. You also
have not demonstrated how the information is excepted from disclosure by section 552.110. See Gov't Code § 552.110 (to prevent disclosure of commercial or financial information,
party must show by specific factual or evidentiary material, not conclusory or generalized
likely result from disclosure); Open Records Decision Nos. 552 at 5 (1990) (party must
establish prima facie case that information is trade secret), 542 at 3 (1990). As to the section
552.104 claim, we note that this is a discretionary exception which is waived if not properly
asserted. Open Records Decision No. 592 at 8 (1991) (governmental body may waive
section 552.104, information relating to competition or bidding). Moreover, section 552.022
of the Government Code specifically provides that, unless it is made confidential under other
law, a completed audit is public information and is not excepted from required disclosure
under the Act. See Gov't Code § 552.022(a)(1). You have accordingly made no compelling
demonstration to overcome the above-cited presumptions that the information at issue must
be released. We therefore conclude that you must release to the requestor, in its entirety, the
information that is responsive to the request.(2)
Ref:	ID# 135676
cc:	Ms. Tracey DeLomba
Providence, Rhose Island 02905
1. The requestor does not specify a time period for the information she is seeking. Other than stating to this office that the requestor seeks your "audited financial statements," you do not explain the scope of the responsive information. You also did not submit for our review the information that is responsive to the request. See Gov't Code § 552.301(e)(1)(D). We note that the request is framed in the present tense, which implies that the requestor may be seeking only current financial statements. We also note, however, that a governmental body has a good faith duty to relate a request to that information which it holds. Open Records Decision No. 561 at 8 (1990). We thus advise that you may ask a requestor to clarify a request if the request is unclear. If a large amount of information has been requested, you may also discuss with the requestor how the scope of the request might be narrowed, provided you do not inquire into the purpose for which the information will be used. Gov't Code § 552.222(a), (b); Open Records Decision No. 304 (1982); see also Open Records Decision No. 663 (1999) (discussing clarification and narrowing of requests, and the circumstances in which the ten-day deadline of Gov't Code § 552.301(b) is tolled during the clarification process).
2. You have not submitted the information, so we have no basis for finding it confidential. Thus, we have no choice but to order the information released under sections 552.302 and 552.303. If you believe the information is confidential and may not lawfully be released, you must challenge this decision in court as outlined below. See also Gov't Code § 552.352. POST OFFICE BOX 12548, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2548 TEL: (512) 463-2100 WEB: WWW.OAG.STATE.TX.US