Researcher: LRH Page 1 4/11/24
OLR Bill Analysis
SB 394
AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN EXEMPTION FROM DISCLOSURE FOR
CERTAIN HIGHER EDUCATION RECORDS PERTAINING TO
TEACHING OR RESEARCH UNDER THE FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION ACT.
SUMMARY
This bill exempts from disclosure under the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) records maintained or kept on file by or for public higher
education institution faculty or staff arising out of teaching or research
on medical, artistic, scientific, legal, or other scholarly issues, including
legal clinic or center records. However, it also explicitly excludes the
institutions’ financial records from the exemption.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024
BACKGROUND
Related Bills
sSB 234, favorably reported by the Public Safety and Security
Committee, among other things expands the FOIA disclosure
exemption for law enforcement agency records created in detecting or
investigating crime that are not otherwise available to the public when
disclosure would not be in the public interest, to include (1) the identity
of mandated reporters not otherwise known and (2) sworn witness
statements.
SB 436, favorably reported by the Government Administration and
Elections Committee, generally expands the FOIA limitation on home
address disclosure to include all public agency employees, rather than
just specified groups of employees and individuals. It also broadens the
limitation to apply to an agency’s personnel, medical, or similar files for
any covered individual (rather than applying only to those records for
an agency’s own employees). 2024SB-00394-R000432-BA.DOCX
Researcher: LRH Page 2 4/11/24
sHB 5410, favorably reported by the Government Administration
and Elections Committee, exempts from disclosure under FOIA (1)
public agency records on investigations into the agency’s employee’s
alleged sexual harassment or discriminatory practice, including the
name of anyone providing information about it, and (2) Department of
Emergency Services and Public Protection records in the registry of state
residents with cognitive challenges to help recover missing or
wandering persons (i.e., the Bring Me Back Home registry).
sHB 5447, favorably reported by the Government Administration
and Elections Committee, adds Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
employees to the list of individuals covered by the FOIA’s limitation on
disclosing home addresses and allows OAG employees to request
address confidentiality from other public agencies.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 13 Nay 6 (03/26/2024)