HBA-KDB, CBW H.B. 137 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 137
By: Danburg
State Affairs
2/23/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, all information gathered by a governmental body must be made
available to the public upon request unless otherwise excepted.  Records of
family violence shelters and sexual assault programs are currently not an
exception to the public information act, and are available upon the request
of an individual. Without this exception, it is possible for the abusers to
get information about the clients, employees, volunteers, donors, and board
members of these centers and programs.  House Bill 137 modifies the open
records law by exempting records of current and former clients,  employees,
volunteers, board members, and donors of a family violence center and
sexual assault programs. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 137 amends the Government Code to except  family violence
shelter  centers (center) and sexual assault programs (program) from
disclosing certain public information.  The bill excepts  information
pertaining to the home address, home telephone number, or social security
number of an employee or a volunteer worker of a center or a program; the
location  or physical layout of a center; personal information of a current
or former client of a center or program; the provision of services to a
current or former client of a center or program; personal  information of a
private donor to a center or program; or personal information of members of
the board of directors or the board of trustees of a center or program.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.