BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 983 By: Noble Public Education Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that a constituent's personal information may have been released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in response to a public information request. Under state public information law, employees of a governmental body may decide whether their personal information should be treated as confidential, but this protection only applies when the governmental entity holding the information is the employer. However, with respect to educators that are not employees of TEA, the agency may be required to release an educator's personal information if it receives an open records request. H.B. 983 seeks to provide privacy protections for Texas educators by ensuring that certain personal information of educators held by TEA is treated as confidential and excepted from public disclosure requirements. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 983 amends the Government Code to make confidential and except from the public availability requirement of state public information law any information maintained by the Texas Education Agency that reveals whether an educator has family members or that relates to an educator's home address, home telephone number, personal cell phone number, personal email address, driver's license number, emergency contact information, date of birth, or social security number. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 983
By: Noble
Public Education
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 983
By: Noble
Public Education
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that a constituent's personal information may have been released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in response to a public information request. Under state public information law, employees of a governmental body may decide whether their personal information should be treated as confidential, but this protection only applies when the governmental entity holding the information is the employer. However, with respect to educators that are not employees of TEA, the agency may be required to release an educator's personal information if it receives an open records request. H.B. 983 seeks to provide privacy protections for Texas educators by ensuring that certain personal information of educators held by TEA is treated as confidential and excepted from public disclosure requirements.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 983 amends the Government Code to make confidential and except from the public availability requirement of state public information law any information maintained by the Texas Education Agency that reveals whether an educator has family members or that relates to an educator's home address, home telephone number, personal cell phone number, personal email address, driver's license number, emergency contact information, date of birth, or social security number.
EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that a constituent's personal information may have been released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in response to a public information request. Under state public information law, employees of a governmental body may decide whether their personal information should be treated as confidential, but this protection only applies when the governmental entity holding the information is the employer. However, with respect to educators that are not employees of TEA, the agency may be required to release an educator's personal information if it receives an open records request. H.B. 983 seeks to provide privacy protections for Texas educators by ensuring that certain personal information of educators held by TEA is treated as confidential and excepted from public disclosure requirements.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 983 amends the Government Code to make confidential and except from the public availability requirement of state public information law any information maintained by the Texas Education Agency that reveals whether an educator has family members or that relates to an educator's home address, home telephone number, personal cell phone number, personal email address, driver's license number, emergency contact information, date of birth, or social security number.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.