SRC-JEC, MSY, AMY S.B. 174 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 174
By: Nelson
State Affairs
6/4/2003
Enrolled


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Current Texas law makes marriage license applications open records freely
available to the public, including such personal information as an
applicant's name, Social Security number, and address.  S.B. 174 makes
information related to an applicant's social security number confidential,
and prohibits the county clerk from disclosing such information.  In
addition, S.B. 174 requires the county clerk to redact such information
from an application upon receiving a request to make information in a
marriage license application available under Chapter 552, Government Code. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 552, Government Code, by adding
Section 552.141, as follows: 

Sec. 552.141.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION IN APPLICATION FOR MARRIAGE
LICENSE.  (a) Establishes as confidential the information that relates to
the social security number of an individual on a marriage license
application and maintained by the county clerk, including information in
an application of behalf of an absent applicant.  Prohibits the county
clerk from disclosing such information to the public under this chapter. 

(b)  Requires the county clerk, upon receiving a request to make
information in a marriage license application available under this
chapter, to redact the portion of the application that contains an
individual's social security number and release the remainder of the
information in the application. 

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 2003