AI-assisted research summary: This section makes certain identities and incident information confidential, with limited disclosure exceptions, and requires providers to share nonidentifying aggregate data with the institution's Title IX coordinator.
Sec. 51.291. CONFIDENTIALITY. (a) The protections provided by this section apply to: (1) an alleged victim of an incident of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking reported to a postsecondary educational institution; (2) a person who reports to a postsecondary educational institution an incident of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking, who sought guidance from the institution concerning such an incident, or who participated in the institution's investigation of such an incident; and (3) a person who is alleged in a report made to a postsecondary educational institution to have committed or assisted in the commission of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking if, after completing an investigation, the institution determines the report to be unsubstantiated or without merit. (b) Unless waived in writing by the person, the identity of a person described by Subsection (a): (1) is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code; and (2) may be disclosed only to: (A) the postsecondary educational institution to which the report described by Subsection (a) is made as necessary to conduct an investigation of the report; (B) a law enforcement officer as necessary to conduct a criminal investigation of the report described by Subsection (a); or (C) a health care provider in an emergency situation, as determined necessary by the institution. (c) A disclosure under Subsection (b) is not a voluntary disclosure for purposes of Section 552.007, Government Code. (d) Information regarding an incident of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking disclosed to a health care provider or other medical provider employed by a postsecondary educational institution is confidential and may be shared by the provider only with the victim's consent. The provider must provide aggregate data or other nonidentifying information regarding those incidents to the institution's Title IX coordinator. Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1078 (H.B. 1735), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.