| 2007 Texas Attorney General Opinions (Greg Abbott) |
AG Rules of Confidentiality of Social Security Numbers (which are routinely contained in divorce decrees and other court records) Opinion No. GA-0519 Re: Release and redaction of social security numbers under the Public Information Act, section 552.147 of the Government Code (RQ-0418-GA) Summary: The social security number ("SSN") of a living person is confidential and subject to mandatory exception from required disclosure under section 552.147(a) of the Public Information Act ("PIA"). Distributing confidential information under the PIA is a criminal offense. Section 552.147(b) of the PIA provides an administrative procedure by which a governmental body may redact confidential SSNs from public information without first obtaining an attorney general decision. The confidentiality of SSNs of living persons under 552.147 of the PIA applies to all county clerk records subject to the PIA. Section 552.147 of the PIA does not authorize a county clerk to redact SSNs from original documents maintained in the clerk's records. When a county clerk redacts a SSN from a copy of a document maintained by the clerk's office, the clerk may label the copy as a "certified copy," but such certification must reflect that SSNs have been redacted. Prior to posting a record on the Internet, the clerk must redact the SSNs of living persons from any record subject to the PIA. For purposes of section 552.147 of the PIA, a governmental body may presume that a requested SSN belongs to a living person unless the facts before the governmental body show otherwise. http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/requests_ga/RQ0418GA.pdf http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/op50abbott/ga-0519.htm |
| UPDATE: The Houston Chronicle reports that the Texas Legislature, which is currently in session, has passed a bill to address the implications of the Attorney General's ruling regarding redaction of Social Security Numbers from Public Records. According to the news report, the bill, passed by both chambers, still provides for redaction by written request. |
| AG News Items |
| April 1, 2007 - The San Antonio Express-News reports that former Attorney General Dan Morales is being released from a federal halfway house in San Antonio. Morales was convicted in 2003 for mail fraud and giving false information on income tax returns, and received a four-year sentence |