Bill Text: MI HB4613 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Civil rights; public records; freedom of information act; revise exemptions. Amends secs. 2 & 13 of 1976 PA 442 (MCL 15.232 & 15.243).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-03-19 - Printed Bill Filed 03/19/2009 [HB4613 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2009-HB4613-Introduced.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL No. 4613

 

March 18, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Lund, McMillin and Calley and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 442, entitled

 

"Freedom of information act,"

 

by amending sections 2 and 13 (MCL 15.232 and 15.243), section 2 as

 

amended by 1996 PA 553 and section 13 as amended by 2006 PA 482.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Field name" means the label or identification of an

 

element of a computer data base that contains a specific item of

 

information, and includes but is not limited to a subject heading

 

such as a column header, data dictionary, or record layout.

 

     (b) "FOIA coordinator" means either of the following:

 


     (i) An individual who is a public body.

 

     (ii) An individual designated by a public body in accordance

 

with section 6 to accept and process requests for public records

 

under this act.

 

     (c) "Person" means an individual, corporation, limited

 

liability company, partnership, firm, organization, association,

 

governmental entity, or other legal entity. Person does not include

 

an individual serving a sentence of imprisonment in a state or

 

county correctional facility in this state or any other state, or

 

in a federal correctional facility.

 

     (d) "Public body" means any of the following:

 

     (i) A state officer, employee, agency, department, division,

 

bureau, board, commission, council, authority, or other body in the

 

executive branch of the state government. , but does not include

 

the governor or lieutenant governor, the executive office of the

 

governor or lieutenant governor, or employees thereof.

 

     (ii) An officer, employee, agency, board, commission, or

 

council in the legislative branch of the state government.

 

     (iii) A county, city, township, village, intercounty, intercity,

 

or regional governing body, council, school district, special

 

district, or municipal corporation, or a board, department,

 

commission, council, or agency thereof.

 

     (iv) Any other body which that is created by state or local

 

authority or which that is primarily funded by or through state or

 

local authority.

 

     (v) The judiciary, including the office of the county clerk

 

and employees thereof when acting in the capacity of clerk to the

 


circuit court. , is not included in the definition of public body.

 

     (e) "Public record" means a writing prepared, owned, used, in

 

the possession of, or retained by a public body in the performance

 

of an official function, from the time it is created. Public record

 

does not include computer software. This act separates public

 

records into the following 2 classes:

 

     (i) Those that are exempt from disclosure under section 13.

 

     (ii) All public records that are not exempt from disclosure

 

under section 13 and which that are subject to disclosure under

 

this act.

 

     (f) "Software" means a set of statements or instructions that

 

when incorporated in a machine usable medium is capable of causing

 

a machine or device having information processing capabilities to

 

indicate, perform, or achieve a particular function, task, or

 

result. Software does not include computer-stored information or

 

data, or a field name if disclosure of that field name does not

 

violate a software license.

 

     (g) "Unusual circumstances" means any 1 or a combination of

 

the following, but only to the extent necessary for the proper

 

processing of a request:

 

     (i) The need to search for, collect, or appropriately examine

 

or review a voluminous amount of separate and distinct public

 

records pursuant to a single request.

 

     (ii) The need to collect the requested public records from

 

numerous field offices, facilities, or other establishments which

 

that are located apart from the particular office receiving or

 

processing the request.

 


     (h) "Writing" means handwriting, typewriting, printing,

 

photostating, photographing, photocopying, and every other means of

 

recording, and includes letters, words, pictures, sounds, or

 

symbols, or combinations thereof, and papers, maps, magnetic or

 

paper tapes, photographic films or prints, microfilm, microfiche,

 

magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, or other means of

 

recording or retaining meaningful content.

 

     (i) "Written request" means a writing that asks for

 

information, and includes a writing transmitted by facsimile,

 

electronic mail, or other electronic means.

 

     Sec. 13. (1) A public body may exempt from disclosure as a

 

public record under this act any of the following:

 

     (a) Information of a personal nature if public disclosure of

 

the information would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of

 

an individual's privacy.

 

     (b) Investigating records compiled for law enforcement

 

purposes, but only to the extent that disclosure as a public record

 

would do any of the following:

 

     (i) Interfere with law enforcement proceedings.

 

     (ii) Deprive a person of the right to a fair trial or impartial

 

administrative adjudication.

 

     (iii) Constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

 

     (iv) Disclose the identity of a confidential source, or if the

 

record is compiled by a law enforcement agency in the course of a

 

criminal investigation, disclose confidential information furnished

 

only by a confidential source.

 

     (v) Disclose law enforcement investigative techniques or

 


procedures.

 

     (vi) Endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement

 

personnel.

 

     (c) A public record that if disclosed would prejudice a public

 

body's ability to maintain the physical security of custodial or

 

penal institutions occupied by persons arrested or convicted of a

 

crime or admitted because of a mental disability, unless the public

 

interest in disclosure under this act outweighs the public interest

 

in nondisclosure.

 

     (d) Records or information specifically described and exempted

 

from disclosure by statute.

 

     (e) A public record or information described in this section

 

that is furnished by the public body originally compiling,

 

preparing, or receiving the record or information to a public

 

officer or public body in connection with the performance of the

 

duties of that public officer or public body, if the considerations

 

originally giving rise to the exempt nature of the public record

 

remain applicable.

 

     (f) Trade secrets or commercial or financial information

 

voluntarily provided to an agency for use in developing

 

governmental policy if:

 

     (i) The information is submitted upon a promise of

 

confidentiality by the public body.

 

     (ii) The promise of confidentiality is authorized by the chief

 

administrative officer of the public body or by an elected official

 

at the time the promise is made.

 

     (iii) A description of the information is recorded by the public

 


body within a reasonable time after it has been submitted,

 

maintained in a central place within the public body, and made

 

available to a person upon request. This subdivision does not apply

 

to information submitted as required by law or as a condition of

 

receiving a governmental contract, license, or other benefit.

 

     (g) Information or records subject to the attorney-client

 

privilege.

 

     (h) Information or records subject to the physician-patient

 

privilege, the psychologist-patient privilege, the minister,

 

priest, or Christian Science practitioner privilege, or other

 

privilege recognized by statute or court rule.

 

     (i) A bid or proposal by a person to enter into a contract or

 

agreement, until the time for the public opening of bids or

 

proposals, or if a public opening is not to be conducted, until the

 

deadline for submission of bids or proposals has expired.

 

     (j) Appraisals of real property to be acquired by the public

 

body until either of the following occurs:

 

     (i) An agreement is entered into.

 

     (ii) Three years have elapsed since the making of the

 

appraisal, unless litigation relative to the acquisition has not

 

yet terminated.

 

     (k) Test questions and answers, scoring keys, and other

 

examination instruments or data used to administer a license,

 

public employment, or academic examination, unless the public

 

interest in disclosure under this act outweighs the public interest

 

in nondisclosure.

 

     (l) Medical, counseling, or psychological facts or evaluations

 


concerning an individual if the individual's identity would be

 

revealed by a disclosure of those facts or evaluation, including

 

protected health information , as defined in 45 CFR 160.103.

 

     (m) Communications and notes within a public body or between

 

public bodies of an advisory nature to the extent that they cover

 

other than purely factual materials and are preliminary to a final

 

agency determination of policy or action. This exemption does not

 

apply unless the public body shows that in the particular instance

 

the public interest in encouraging frank communication between

 

officials and employees of public bodies clearly outweighs the

 

public interest in disclosure. This exemption does not constitute

 

an exemption under state law for purposes of section 8(h) of the

 

open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.268. As used in this

 

subdivision, "determination of policy or action" includes a

 

determination relating to collective bargaining, unless the public

 

record is otherwise required to be made available under 1947 PA

 

336, MCL 423.201 to 423.217.

 

     (n) Records of law enforcement communication codes, or plans

 

for deployment of law enforcement personnel, that if disclosed

 

would prejudice a public body's ability to protect the public

 

safety unless the public interest in disclosure under this act

 

outweighs the public interest in nondisclosure in the particular

 

instance.

 

     (o) Information that would reveal the exact location of

 

archaeological sites. The department of history, arts, and

 

libraries may promulgate rules in accordance with the

 

administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to

 


24.328, to provide for the disclosure of the location of

 

archaeological sites for purposes relating to the preservation or

 

scientific examination of sites.

 

     (p) Testing data developed by a public body in determining

 

whether bidders' products meet the specifications for purchase of

 

those products by the public body, if disclosure of the data would

 

reveal that only 1 bidder has met the specifications. This

 

subdivision does not apply after 1 year has elapsed from the time

 

the public body completes the testing.

 

     (q) Academic transcripts of an institution of higher education

 

established under section 5, 6, or 7 of article VIII of the state

 

constitution of 1963, if the transcript pertains to a student who

 

is delinquent in the payment of financial obligations to the

 

institution.

 

     (r) Records of a campaign committee including a committee that

 

receives money from a state campaign fund.

 

     (s) Unless the public interest in disclosure outweighs the

 

public interest in nondisclosure in the particular instance, public

 

records of a law enforcement agency, the release of which would do

 

any of the following:

 

     (i) Identify or provide a means of identifying an informant.

 

     (ii) Identify or provide a means of identifying a law

 

enforcement undercover officer or agent or a plain clothes officer

 

as a law enforcement officer or agent.

 

     (iii) Disclose the personal address or telephone number of

 

active or retired law enforcement officers or agents or a special

 

skill that they may have.

 


     (iv) Disclose the name, address, or telephone numbers of family

 

members, relatives, children, or parents of active or retired law

 

enforcement officers or agents.

 

     (v) Disclose operational instructions for law enforcement

 

officers or agents.

 

     (vi) Reveal the contents of staff manuals provided for law

 

enforcement officers or agents.

 

     (vii) Endanger the life or safety of law enforcement officers

 

or agents or their families, relatives, children, parents, or those

 

who furnish information to law enforcement departments or agencies.

 

     (viii) Identify or provide a means of identifying a person as a

 

law enforcement officer, agent, or informant.

 

     (ix) Disclose personnel records of law enforcement agencies.

 

     (x) Identify or provide a means of identifying residences that

 

law enforcement agencies are requested to check in the absence of

 

their owners or tenants.

 

     (t) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, records

 

and information pertaining to an investigation or a compliance

 

conference conducted by the department under article 15 of the

 

public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, before

 

a complaint is issued. This subdivision does not apply to records

 

or information pertaining to 1 or more of the following:

 

     (i) The fact that an allegation has been received and an

 

investigation is being conducted, and the date the allegation was

 

received.

 

     (ii) The fact that an allegation was received by the

 

department; the fact that the department did not issue a complaint

 


for the allegation; and the fact that the allegation was dismissed.

 

     (u) Records of a public body's security measures, including

 

security plans, security codes and combinations, passwords, passes,

 

keys, and security procedures, to the extent that the records

 

relate to the ongoing security of the public body.

 

     (v) Records or information relating to a civil action in which

 

the requesting party and the public body are parties.

 

     (w) Information or records that would disclose the social

 

security number of an individual.

 

     (x) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, an

 

application for the position of president of an institution of

 

higher education established under section 4, 5, or 6 of article

 

VIII of the state constitution of 1963, materials submitted with

 

such an the application, letters of recommendation or references

 

concerning an applicant, and records or information relating to the

 

process of searching for and selecting an individual for a position

 

described in this subdivision, if the records or information could

 

be used to identify a candidate for the position. However, after 1

 

or more individuals have been identified as finalists for a

 

position described in this subdivision, this subdivision does not

 

apply to a public record described in this subdivision, except a

 

letter of recommendation or reference, to the extent that the

 

public record relates to an individual identified as a finalist for

 

the position.

 

     (y) Records or information of measures designed to protect the

 

security or safety of persons or property, whether public or

 

private, including, but not limited to, building, public works, and

 


public water supply designs to the extent that those designs relate

 

to the ongoing security measures of a public body, capabilities and

 

plans for responding to a violation of the Michigan anti-terrorism

 

act, chapter LXXXIII-A of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL

 

750.543a to 750.543z, emergency response plans, risk planning

 

documents, threat assessments, and domestic preparedness

 

strategies, unless disclosure would not impair a public body's

 

ability to protect the security or safety of persons or property or

 

unless the public interest in disclosure outweighs the public

 

interest in nondisclosure in the particular instance.

 

     (z) Records of the judicial branch of government, except those

 

that concern general administrative matters.

 

     (aa) Communications between a legislator and his or her

 

constituents.

 

     (2) A public body shall exempt from disclosure information

 

that, if released, would prevent the public body from complying

 

with 20 USC 1232g, commonly referred to as the family educational

 

rights and privacy act of 1974. A public body that is a local or

 

intermediate school district or a public school academy shall

 

exempt from disclosure directory information, as defined by 20 USC

 

1232g, commonly referred to as the family educational rights and

 

privacy act of 1974, requested for the purpose of surveys,

 

marketing, or solicitation, unless that public body determines that

 

the use is consistent with the educational mission of the public

 

body and beneficial to the affected students. A public body that is

 

a local or intermediate school district or a public school academy

 

may take steps to ensure that directory information disclosed under

 


this subsection shall not be used, rented, or sold for the purpose

 

of surveys, marketing, or solicitation. Before disclosing the

 

directory information, a public body that is a local or

 

intermediate school district or a public school academy may require

 

the requester to execute an affidavit stating that directory

 

information provided under this subsection shall not be used,

 

rented, or sold for the purpose of surveys, marketing, or

 

solicitation.

 

     (3) This act does not authorize the withholding of information

 

otherwise required by law to be made available to the public or to

 

a party in a contested case under the administrative procedures act

 

of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.

 

     (4) Except as otherwise exempt under subsection (1), this act

 

does not authorize the withholding of a public record in the

 

possession of the executive office of the governor or lieutenant

 

governor, or an employee of either executive office, if the public

 

record is transferred to the executive office of the governor or

 

lieutenant governor, or an employee of either executive office,

 

after a request for the public record has been received by a state

 

officer, employee, agency, department, division, bureau, board,

 

commission, council, authority, or other body in the executive

 

branch of government that is subject to this act.

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