SGN S.B. 1544 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS CORRECTIONS S.B. 1544 By: Ogden (Place) 5-7-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Prior to September 1995, the home address, telephone number and social security number of Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) employees was treated as confidential, in the same manner as the home address, telephone number and social security number of peace officers is treated as confidential. Currently, an employee of the TDCJ is required to request within 14 days of employment that certain information be held confidential or confidentiality will be waived. In light of the nature of their work, additional precautions should be taken to protect the confidentiality of personal information of TDCJ employees, just as additional precautions are taken to protect the confidentiality of law enforcement officials' personal information. PURPOSE S.B. 1544, if enacted, will restore the presumption that personal information regarding TDCJ employees is confidential. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 552.117 (2) and (3), Government Code, to allow for confidentiality of personal information about peace officers and TDCJ employees regardless of whether the officer has requested such confidentiality. SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective unless certain acts are declared invalid. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.