HBA-CBW S.B. 15 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 15 By: Nelson State Affairs 3/19/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, all information gathered by a governmental body must be made available to the public on request unless otherwise excepted. Records of family violence shelter centers and sexual assault programs are currently not excepted from such public disclosure and are available on 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. Senate Bill 15 modifies the open records law by exempting certain information regarding current and former clients, employees, volunteers, board members, and donors of family violence shelter centers 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 Senate Bill 15 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 maintained by a center or program 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 regarding 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 regarding a private donor to a center or program; or personal information regarding 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.