March 07, 2007

Texas House Passes Privacy Law Exemption

The Texas House of Representatives late Monday passed an emergency bill that essentially exempts courthouse clerks in Texas from state and federal Social Security number confidentiality laws. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jim Keffer, allows county and district clerks to disclose "in the ordinary course of business" Social Security numbers contained in public records maintained by their offices. It also holds that such disclosure is not "official misconduct and does not subject the clerk to civil or criminal liability" under the state's privacy laws. The measure also states that Social Security numbers should not be included in future public records filed with county governments. And it gives individuals the right to ask that their Social Security numbers be removed from existing public records.

Texas House exempts courthouse clerks from privacy laws, Computerworld, March 6, 2007.