HB 1862

Present law requires certain personal information in the employment records of certain public employees to be treated as confidential. Confidential information cannot be open for inspection by members of the public unless the employee expressly releases the information. Such information is redacted, and does not generally interfere with public records requests. For example, generally, confidential information includes all of the following information of any state, county, municipal or other public emplo yee or former employee, or applicant to such position, in the possession of a governmental entity or any person in its capacity as an employer :  Home telephone and personal cell phone numbers .  Bank account and individual health savings account, retirement account , and pension account information . However, nothing limit s access to financial records of a governmental employer that show s the amounts and sources of contributions to the accounts or the amount of pension or retirement benefits provided to the employee or former employee by the governmental employer .  Social security number .  Residential information, including the street address, city, state, and zip code, for any state, county, municipal, or other public employee .  Driver license information except where driving or operating a vehicle is part of the employee's job description or job duties or incidental to the performance of the employee's job .  The above-listed information of immediate family members, whether or not the immediate family member resides with the employee, or household members .  Emergency contact information .  Personal, nongovernment - issued email address. This bill adds that the same personally identifying information listed above of an elected state or local public official in the possession of a state or local governmental entity, official, or employee is confidential and is not open for public inspection. Such information must be redacted wherever possible and must not be used to limit or deny access to otherwise public information because a file, a document, or a data file contains confidential information. However, these provisions, pertaining to the personally identifying information of an elected state or local public offic ial , do not do any of the following:  Limit access to such information by law enforcement agencies, courts, or other governmental agencies performing official functions .  Close any personnel records of such elected officials that are currently open under state law .  Limit access to personally identifying information made confidential when the elected official expressly authorizes the release of such information.