Opinion ID: 1860963
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Statutory Classification of the Requested Data

Text: The purpose of Minn.St. 15.162 to 15.169, known as the Minnesota Data Privacy Act, is to control the state's collection, security, and dissemination of information in order to protect the privacy of individuals while meeting the legitimate needs of government and society for information. Minn.St. 15.169, subd. 3(3). To accomplish this purpose the law provides for the classification of data on individuals into three categories: confidential, private, and public. Confidential data on individuals is defined as data which is (a) made not public by statute or federal law applicable to the data and is inaccessible to the individual subject of that data   . Minn.St. 15.162, subd. 2a. Private data on individuals is data which is made by statute or federal law applicable to the data: (a) not public; and (b) accessible to the individual subject of that data. Minn.St. 15.162, subd. 5a. Public data on individuals means data which is accessible to the public in accordance with the provisions of section 15.17. Minn.St. 15.162, subd. 5b. These definitions require that classifications as confidential or private be made by statute or federal law applicable to the data. [4] Appellant cites no statute or federal law which makes the names of those receiving payments for abortion services provided to medical assistance patients or the amount of the payments received not public. [5] Therefore, this information is neither confidential nor private. Appellants nevertheless contend that the information is not public data on individuals because it does not fall within the definition of public records under Minn.St. 15.17. Minn.St. 15.17, subd. 1, requires all state agencies to make and keep all records necessary to a full and accurate knowledge of their official activities. The statute then provides that [a]ll such public records shall be made on durable paper, but that they may be photographed, photostated, microphotographed, or microfilmed and that the reproductions may be substituted for the originals. Minn.St. 15.17, subd. 4, requires public record custodians to keep the records easily accessible for convenient use, and provides in part:    Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, he shall permit all public records in his custody to be inspected, examined, abstracted, or copied at reasonable times and under his supervision and regulation by any person; and he shall, upon the demand of any person, furnish certified copies thereof on payment in advance of fees not to exceed the fees prescribed by law. Appellants contend that, because the information sought here was stored on computer tapes, it is not a public record accessible to the public under § 15.17. Rather, they argue, only the microfilm copies of the practitioner invoices from which the computer tapes are made constitute public records. This argument is without merit. The requirement of Minn.St. 15.17, subd. 1, that public records be made on durable quality paper does not constitute a definition of public records. Rather, that requirement is imposed on [a]ll such public records. Such refers to the sentence immediately preceding, which requires officials to keep all records necessary to a full and accurate knowledge of their official activities. Thus, whether records are public records depends not on the form in which they are kept but on whether they are necessary to a full and accurate knowledge of official activities. The form requirements merely ensure that the records are made permanent. The department has complied with this provision by microfilming the practitioner invoices. Minn.St. 15.17, subd. 4, which grants public access to all public records, except as otherwise expressly provided by law, places no restrictions on the form in which the records shall be made available other than that they shall be easily accessible for convenient use. While it provides that [p]hotographic, photostatic, microphotographic, or microfilmed records shall be considered as accessible for convenient use regardless of the size of such records, it does not proscribe furnishing the records in some other form acceptable to the requester. Therefore, Minn.St. 15.17 does not in any way prohibit the department from releasing data contained in its public records in the form of a computer printout. Minn.St. 256B.041 provides for the establishment of a system for the centralized disbursement of medical assistance payments to vendors by the commissioner of public welfare. Minn.St. 256B.064 provides for the termination of such payments to vendors of medical care who have been determined to be ineligible for payment. These provisions establish that the records of payments to individual providers of medical care are necessary to a full and accurate knowledge of the department's official activities. Without such records it could not be determined whether the department was making payments only to eligible providers or whether the payments made were reasonable for the services provided. Therefore, such records are public records accessible to the public under Minn.St. 15.17, and the information contained in such records is public data on individuals under Minn.St. 15.162, subd. 5b.