AI-assisted research summary: This section defines “public information” and says protected health information is not public information for disclosure purposes.
Sec. 552.002. DEFINITION OF PUBLIC INFORMATION; MEDIA CONTAINING PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a) In this chapter, "public information" means information that is written, produced, collected, assembled, or maintained under a law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business: (1) by a governmental body; (2) for a governmental body and the governmental body: (A) owns the information; (B) has a right of access to the information; or (C) spends or contributes public money for the purpose of writing, producing, collecting, assembling, or maintaining the information; or (3) by an individual officer or employee of a governmental body in the officer's or employee's official capacity and the information pertains to official business of the governmental body. (a-1) Information is in connection with the transaction of official business if the information is created by, transmitted to, received by, or maintained by an officer or employee of the governmental body in the officer's or employee's official capacity, or a person or entity performing official business or a governmental function on behalf of a governmental body, and pertains to official business of the governmental body. (a-2) The definition of "public information" provided by Subsection (a) applies to and includes any electronic communication created, transmitted, received, or maintained on any device if the communication is in connection with the transaction of official business. (b) The media on which public information is recorded include: (1) paper; (2) film; (3) a magnetic, optical, solid state, or other device that can store an electronic signal; (4) tape; (5) Mylar; and (6) any physical material on which information may be recorded, including linen, silk, and vellum. (c) The general forms in which the media containing public information exist include a book, paper, letter, document, e-mail, Internet posting, text message, instant message, other electronic communication, printout, photograph, film, tape, microfiche, microfilm, photostat, sound recording, map, and drawing and a voice, data, or video representation held in computer memory. (d) "Protected health information" as defined by Section 181.006, Health and Safety Code, is not public information and is not subject to disclosure under this chapter. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 1035, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1204 (S.B. 1368), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2013. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1340 (S.B. 944), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.