Source: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opinions/openrecords/49cornyn/orl/2000/htm/or200002705.htm
Timestamp: 2017-07-24 17:12:50
Document Index: 793727877

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

OR2000-2705
ID# 137150.
Stephen F. Austin State University (the "university") received a request for information
relating to a recent invitation to bid. You have submitted the responsive information to this
office.(1) The university does not raise any exception to public disclosure of the requested information. You inform us that the university will rely on the vendors who submitted the information to the university to claim protection for any information that any of them may
claim is proprietary.(2)
Section 552.305 of the Government Code provides in relevant part that if release of a private
party's proprietary information may be subject to exception under section 552.110, a
governmental body must make a good-faith effort to notify that party of its right to submit
reasons why such information should be withheld from disclosure. See Gov't Code
§ 552.305(d); Open Records Decision No. 542 at 2-3 (1990) (determining that statutory
predecessor to Gov't Code § 552.305 permitted governmental body to rely on interested
third party to raise and explain applicability of exception to disclosure in certain
circumstances). You inform this office that the university provided the notice required by
section 552.305(d) to all of the vendors whose submitted information may be affected. Each
of those parties had ten business days in which to submit to this office that party's arguments,
if any, as to why requested information relating to that party represents or contains
information that is protected by section 552.110. See Gov't Code § 552.305(d)(2)(B). None
of the affected parties timely responded to the university's notice. Therefore, the requested
Ref:	ID# 137150
cc:	Ms. Sandra J. Cox
Cox Contractors, Inc. P.O. Box 631447
Nacodgdoches, Texas 75963-1447
Mr. Stephen Blizzard
DiCarlo Construction Company South
7036 Empire Central Drive
Mr. James A. Kingham
J.E. Kingham Construction Company, Inc.
1. We note that in submitting the requested information, the university failed to comply with section 552.301(e) of the Government Code. Section 552.301(e) provides in relevant part that "[a] governmental body that requests an attorney general decision under Subsection (a) of [section 552.301] must . . . not later than the 15th business day after the date of receiving the written request [for information] . . . submit to the attorney general . . . a copy of the specific information requested, or submit representative samples of the information if a voluminous amount of information was requested[.]" Gov't Code § 552.301(e)(1)(D). Failure to comply with section 552.301 in requesting an attorney general decision raises a presumption that the information requested in writing is subject to required public disclosure and must be released, unless there is a compelling reason to withhold any of that information from the public. See Gov't Code § 552.302. In order to protect its own interests and those of other affected parties, the university should ensure in the future that it complies fully and timely with section 552.301 in seeking an attorney general decision under the Public Information Act.
2. Section 552.110 protects the proprietary interests of private parties by excepting from disclosure two types of information: (1) trade secrets, and (2) commercial or financial information for which it is demonstrated, based on specific factual evidence, that disclosure would cause substantial competitive harm to the person from whom the information was obtained. See Gov't Code § 552.110(a), (b); Open Records Decision No. 552 at 2 (1990). POST OFFICE BOX 12548, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2548 TEL: (512) 463-2100 WEB: WWW.OAG.STATE.TX.US