Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1975 )

December& 1975 TheHomrableBevitgtm Me13 cpinionNo. H-749 ccmhissicner,Coordinatjng Board TaxasCollegeandUniversitySystem RS: Availabilityof certain P. 0. Box 12788 klfolmationregarding Austin,TWas 78711 collegestudentstothe Deprtmnt of PublicSafety andtiagmuphealth insurancecarrier. Dear Dr. Peed: You have requested 0~1:decisionregardingthe availability of certainstudentand facultymoxds. Specifically, youask: (1) Doesthe TexasDep&rent of PublicSafety have rightof accessto studentand faculty carqmsv&icularregist.rationinfonration,and (2)Dxsthestudenthealth insurancemrrie.r,ut&x contractualagreewntbaa juniorcollegedistrict, have the rightto obtainthoserecordswhichdirectly pertainto a student'seligibility to claimbenefits of the insurancepolicy? Altkugh facultyvehicleregistration infomutionis arguablynot subjecttoccmpelled lit disclosure undersection3(a)(2)of the @en RecordsAct, article%a V.T.CS whichexcepts"inf~tion in personnelfiles,tkdisclo&eofwkj)lwxld constituteaclearly~- warrantedkwasion of personalprivacy," we need mt decidethatquestion hre, sinceycuilquireonlywhetherthe university may furnishthis informationto thsDepa&mntof PublicSafety. In AttoxneyGeneral C@nion H-242 (19741,we held that the Cpen FWords Act dossnot prohibit the transferbetweenStateagenciesof informtionvkkhismtrequired to be disclosedto the public. Jn AttorneyGeneralOpinionH-287 (1974), we mted that the Legislaturehas "[olnmsny occasicms.. . expresseda policyfavoringinteragencycocperation. . . .' l%us,webelievethat facultyvehicleregistratiminfonnationmaybedisclosedtotk Depart- msnt of PublicSafety. p. 3175 ?he norm-able~evirqtm %ed - page two (H-749) As to studentvehicleregistrationinformation, it is at least arguab1etbatsuchinf0nnationqualifiesasa"studmtrecord" towhich the exceptionof section3(a)(14)is applicable.In any case,it is our opinionthat,wb&herornotstudentvehicleregistraticminfomation needbedisclosedtoths plblic,itmybedisclosedtoths Department of PublicSafetywitlmutviolatingany principleof pm-1975 Texaslaw. See AttorneyGeneralQG.nionsH-287 (19741,H-242 (1974). - wenu.lstalsodetembe,~,~therths Dqartmnt of Public Safetyhasaccesstothis infonnationundertbe1974amenmnentstothe FmilyE%caticmal&PrivacyRightsI\ct (theBuckleyPinenamtj,20 U.S.C. s 1232g. S-on (b) (1)of the BuckleyPmndmntprohibitsthedispersal offederalfum% toanyeducationalagencyorinstitutionwhich hasapolicyorpracticeofpermittingtbe releaseof educationrecords(orpersonally identifiable~ommtioncontainedtherein otherthandirecWryinfom&ion,asdefined in paragraph(5)of mbeection (a)of this section)of students theirconsentto any individual, wi+chxlt agencyor orgsnization, with certainenunsrated exceptims. &otherportionofthestatuteindicates, ~,thatthescopeof"educaticnrecords"doesnotincluae therecordsand&cmsntsofsuchlawenforce- mntunitwh.ich(I)arekeptapartfmrecords describedin subparagra@(A), (II)anz maintained solelyfor lawenforcxmnt plrposes,and (III)are notmade availableto personsotherthan lawenforce- msnt officialsof the sam jurisdiction ['ifthe pemcnnelof alawenforcenentunitdo riothave accessto &ucat.im recordsundersubsection(b)(l) of this section.']20 U.S.C.1232g(a) (4)(B)(ii) Thus,if a student's vehicleregistration infomtion is in factmain- tainedseparately fmnhis othereducational records,and if it is in factmaintained"solelyfor law enforcensn t purposesnby personsin the employof ttkzmiversitywfiodonotbaveaccessto ths student's other records,it is ouropinionthatthemiversity'slawenforcemn annmay t UnderSUChCircLms tances,withoutjeopmdizingthereceiptoffederal f!mds,furnishthisinfonnatimtonlawenfo~ t officials of the w whichwouldincludetheDqxulnmt of PublicSafety. sams jurisdiction, Ofoourse,thefadualquestionsinMlvingthemaintenanceoftherecords mustbedeteminedineachcase. p. 3176 , 'theHonorableBevingtonked - page three W-749) Your secondquestionis whatherthe universitymay furnishto a . studenthealthinsummecarriex~reo0~whi&directlypertainto a student'seligibilityto claimthe benefitsof the insurancepolicy. Sinceyouhavenotqecifiedtheprecisetypeof infoxmationrequested by the insurancecarrier,wemstpresune that it fallsintothe category of "studentrecords"whichisexceptedfrunrequkeddisclosureby section3(a)(14)of the @en Rxords Act. That sectionpmvides, howwer, that the "reaxds shallbemade available- requestof. . . thestudentinvolved...."Theproperpmcedwe wuld thereforeseem tobetorequireeachstudentwfiodesireshealthinsuranceaxrerageto give hiswrittenconsenttothe furnishing of parti.nentinfoHastionto the carrier. Asimilarproosdwewouldprobablyalsosatisfythe fmdingrquire- nkxksof federallaw. TheopenRecoldsActnavtakesccgnizanceofthe federalstatute: NothiIKJinthisActshallbeconstmedtol?quire thereleaseofinfomlationcontainedineducation recordsof any educationalagencyor institution exceptinconfomitywiththeprovisicmsof ths FamilyFducatimalRights&Privacy Act of 1974. . . . Acts 1975,64thleg.,ch. 314,p. 809. See Cpen E&cordsUecisicnNo. 96 (1975).As to that portionof the infoGGm whichmay be classified as "directoryinformation"uuder se&km (a)(5)(A)of the BuckleyI4nsdwnt, the institution is required tonotifythestudentofitsin~ttoreleasetheinformation,after wfiich~studentispenittedareasonableperiodof~toobjectto its release. 20 U.S.C.6 1232g(a)(5)(B). As to all otherinfomation, the institution obtainthe writtenconserkofthe must affirmatively studentbeforeit may releasethe jnfomaticm. As a result,it is our opinionthat an institutionkhichtis healthinswame coverage availableto its studentsshould,at the time a studentrakesapplica- tion for coverage,obtainhiswrittenaxsenttopraviding the insurance carrierwithallrelevantinfomtion. SUMMARY Ingeneral,thelkxasDqxrtnmt of PublicSafety has accessto studentand facultyCasnplsvehiculaX registratiminformation. An educationalinstitu- tionwhichmakesavailable to its studenthealth p. 3177 . . IheHmorableBedn+n reed - page far U-I-749) hsurancecarrierthosereco~whichdirectly pertainto a student's eligibility to claimthe benefitsofthe insumrmpdicy &ml& at the timethsstuSntmakesa~plicaticmforcoverage, obtainhiswrittenconsenttoreleaseofthe pertinentinf-*. AttorneyGeneralof Texas p. 3178