HBA-SEP C.S.S.B. 694 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 694 By: Wentworth State Affairs 5/2/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE State and local agencies are acquiring credit card and debit card information from many individuals and organizations through business and governmental transactions. Under current law, an individual's credit card number may be withheld from disclosure under the Public Information Act, but state law does not clearly specify whether the credit card numbers of organizations may also be withheld. C.S.S.B. 694 provides that all credit card, debit card, charge card, and access device numbers collected, assembled, or maintained by or for a governmental body are confidential. 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 C.S.S.B. 694 amends the Government Code to provide that a credit card, debit card, charge card, or access device number that is collected, assembled, or maintained by or for a governmental body is confidential. The bill also provides that an e-mail address of a member of the public that is provided for the purpose of communicating electronically with a governmental body is confidential unless the member of the public affirmatively consents to its release. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.S.B. 694 modifies the original to specify that a charge card number that is collected, assembled, or maintained by or for a governmental body is confidential. The substitute provides that an e-mail address of a member of the public that is provided for the purpose of communicating electronically with a governmental body is confidential unless the member of the public affirmatively consents to its release.