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S.B. 260

             1     

DISCLOSURE OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEE

             2     
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AMENDMENTS

             3     
2008 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: D. Chris Buttars

             6     
House Sponsor: ____________

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies the Government Records Access and Management Act by amending
             11      certain provisions identifying records that may be classified as private.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    amends the Counties title to incorporate record classification provisions into the
             15      Government Records Access and Management Act;
             16          .    permits a governmental entity to classify a record of formal charges or disciplinary
             17      actions against a peace officer as a private record, unless the peace officer consents,
             18      in writing, to make the record public; and
             19          .    makes technical changes.
             20      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26          17-30-19, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2000, Chapter 151
             27          63-2-301, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2006, Chapters 2 and 14


             28          63-2-302, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2006, Chapter 2
             29     
             30      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             31          Section 1. Section 17-30-19 is amended to read:
             32           17-30-19. Disciplinary charges and officer grievances -- Appeal to commission --
             33      Hearing -- Findings.
             34          (1) Each person who orders the demotion, reduction in pay, suspension, or discharge of
             35      a merit system officer for any cause set forth in Section 17-30-18 shall:
             36          (a) file written charges with the commission; and
             37          (b) serve the officer with a copy of the written charges.
             38          (2) (a) (i) An officer who is the subject of charges under Subsection (1) may, within ten
             39      days after service of the charges, appeal in writing to the commission.
             40          (ii) [In the absence of an appeal, a copy of the] The charges under Subsection (1) may
             41      [not be made public without the consent of the officer charged] be classified as a private record
             42      under Subsection 63-2-302 (2)(a)(ii).
             43          (b) If an officer files a grievance, as defined by the commission, and exhausts all
             44      internal grievance procedures, if any, the officer may, within ten days after receiving notice of
             45      the final disposition of the grievance, file an appeal with the commission.
             46          (3) (a) The commission shall:
             47          (i) fix a time and place for a hearing upon the charges or appeal of the officer
             48      grievance; and
             49          (ii) give notice of the hearing to the parties.
             50          (b) (i) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b)(ii), each hearing under this Subsection
             51      (3) shall be held not less than ten and not more than 90 days after an appeal or grievance is
             52      filed.
             53          (ii) A hearing may be held more than 90 days after an appeal or grievance is filed if:
             54          (A) the officer and employer agree; or
             55          (B) for good cause the commission so orders.
             56          (4) (a) If the aggrieved officer so desires, the hearing shall be public.
             57          (b) The parties may be represented by counsel at the hearing.
             58          (5) After the hearing the commission shall make its decision in writing, including


             59      findings of fact, and shall mail a copy to each party.
             60          Section 2. Section 63-2-301 is amended to read:
             61           63-2-301. Records that must be disclosed.
             62          (1) As used in this section:
             63          (a) "Business address" means a single address of a governmental agency designated for
             64      the public to contact an employee or officer of the governmental agency.
             65          (b) "Business email address" means a single email address of a governmental agency
             66      designated for the public to contact an employee or officer of the governmental agency.
             67          (c) "Business telephone number" means a single telephone number of a governmental
             68      agency designated for the public to contact an employee or officer of the governmental agency.
             69          (2) The following records are public except to the extent they contain information
             70      expressly permitted to be treated confidentially under the provisions of Subsections
             71      63-2-201 (3)(b) and (6)(a):
             72          (a) laws;
             73          (b) the name, gender, gross compensation, job title, job description, business address,
             74      business email address, business telephone number, number of hours worked per pay period,
             75      dates of employment, and relevant education, previous employment, and similar job
             76      qualifications of a current or former employee or officer of the governmental entity, excluding:
             77          (i) undercover law enforcement personnel; and
             78          (ii) investigative personnel if disclosure could reasonably be expected to impair the
             79      effectiveness of investigations or endanger any individual's safety;
             80          (c) final opinions, including concurring and dissenting opinions, and orders that are
             81      made by a governmental entity in an administrative, adjudicative, or judicial proceeding except
             82      that if the proceedings were properly closed to the public, the opinion and order may be
             83      withheld to the extent that they contain information that is private, controlled, or protected;
             84          (d) final interpretations of statutes or rules by a governmental entity unless classified as
             85      protected as provided in Subsections 63-2-304 (16), (17), and (18);
             86          (e) information contained in or compiled from a transcript, minutes, or report of the
             87      open portions of a meeting of a governmental entity as provided by Title 52, Chapter 4, Open
             88      and Public Meetings Act, including the records of all votes of each member of the
             89      governmental entity;


             90          (f) judicial records unless a court orders the records to be restricted under the rules of
             91      civil or criminal procedure or unless the records are private under this chapter;
             92          (g) unless otherwise classified as private under Section 63-2-302.5 , records or parts of
             93      records filed with or maintained by county recorders, clerks, treasurers, surveyors, zoning
             94      commissions, the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, the School and Institutional Trust
             95      Lands Administration, the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, the Division of Water Rights, or
             96      other governmental entities that give public notice of:
             97          (i) titles or encumbrances to real property;
             98          (ii) restrictions on the use of real property;
             99          (iii) the capacity of persons to take or convey title to real property; or
             100          (iv) tax status for real and personal property;
             101          (h) records of the Department of Commerce that evidence incorporations, mergers,
             102      name changes, and uniform commercial code filings;
             103          (i) data on individuals that would otherwise be private under this chapter if the
             104      individual who is the subject of the record has given the governmental entity written
             105      permission to make the records available to the public;
             106          (j) documentation of the compensation that a governmental entity pays to a contractor
             107      or private provider;
             108          (k) summary data; and
             109          (l) voter registration records, including an individual's voting history, except for those
             110      parts of the record that are classified as private in Subsection 63-2-302 (1)(i).
             111          (3) The following records are normally public, but to the extent that a record is
             112      expressly exempt from disclosure, access may be restricted under Subsection 63-2-201 (3)(b),
             113      Section 63-2-302 , 63-2-303 , or 63-2-304 :
             114          (a) administrative staff manuals, instructions to staff, and statements of policy;
             115          (b) records documenting a contractor's or private provider's compliance with the terms
             116      of a contract with a governmental entity;
             117          (c) records documenting the services provided by a contractor or a private provider to
             118      the extent the records would be public if prepared by the governmental entity;
             119          (d) contracts entered into by a governmental entity;
             120          (e) any account, voucher, or contract that deals with the receipt or expenditure of funds


             121      by a governmental entity;
             122          (f) records relating to government assistance or incentives publicly disclosed,
             123      contracted for, or given by a governmental entity, encouraging a person to expand or relocate a
             124      business in Utah, except as provided in Subsection 63-2-304 (35);
             125          (g) chronological logs and initial contact reports;
             126          (h) correspondence by and with a governmental entity in which the governmental entity
             127      determines or states an opinion upon the rights of the state, a political subdivision, the public,
             128      or any person;
             129          (i) empirical data contained in drafts if:
             130          (i) the empirical data is not reasonably available to the requester elsewhere in similar
             131      form; and
             132          (ii) the governmental entity is given a reasonable opportunity to correct any errors or
             133      make nonsubstantive changes before release;
             134          (j) drafts that are circulated to anyone other than:
             135          (i) a governmental entity;
             136          (ii) a political subdivision;
             137          (iii) a federal agency if the governmental entity and the federal agency are jointly
             138      responsible for implementation of a program or project that has been legislatively approved;
             139          (iv) a government-managed corporation; or
             140          (v) a contractor or private provider;
             141          (k) drafts that have never been finalized but were relied upon by the governmental
             142      entity in carrying out action or policy;
             143          (l) original data in a computer program if the governmental entity chooses not to
             144      disclose the program;
             145          (m) arrest warrants after issuance, except that, for good cause, a court may order
             146      restricted access to arrest warrants prior to service;
             147          (n) search warrants after execution and filing of the return, except that a court, for good
             148      cause, may order restricted access to search warrants prior to trial;
             149          (o) except as provided in Subsection 63-2-302 (2)(a)(ii), records that would disclose
             150      information relating to formal charges or disciplinary actions against a past or present
             151      governmental entity employee if:


             152          (i) the disciplinary action has been completed and all time periods for administrative
             153      appeal have expired; and
             154          (ii) the charges on which the disciplinary action was based were sustained;
             155          (p) records maintained by the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, the School
             156      and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, or the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining that
             157      evidence mineral production on government lands;
             158          (q) final audit reports;
             159          (r) occupational and professional licenses;
             160          (s) business licenses; and
             161          (t) a notice of violation, a notice of agency action under Section 63-46b-3 , or similar
             162      records used to initiate proceedings for discipline or sanctions against persons regulated by a
             163      governmental entity, but not including records that initiate employee discipline.
             164          (4) The list of public records in this section is not exhaustive and should not be used to
             165      limit access to records.
             166          Section 3. Section 63-2-302 is amended to read:
             167           63-2-302. Private records.
             168          (1) The following records are private:
             169          (a) records concerning an individual's eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits,
             170      social services, welfare benefits, or the determination of benefit levels;
             171          (b) records containing data on individuals describing medical history, diagnosis,
             172      condition, treatment, evaluation, or similar medical data;
             173          (c) records of publicly funded libraries that when examined alone or with other records
             174      identify a patron;
             175          (d) records received or generated for a Senate or House Ethics Committee concerning
             176      any alleged violation of the rules on legislative ethics, prior to the meeting, and after the
             177      meeting, if the ethics committee meeting was closed to the public;
             178          (e) records received or generated for a Senate confirmation committee concerning
             179      character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual:
             180          (i) if prior to the meeting, the chair of the committee determines release of the records:
             181          (A) reasonably could be expected to interfere with the investigation undertaken by the
             182      committee; or


             183          (B) would create a danger of depriving a person of a right to a fair proceeding or
             184      impartial hearing; and
             185          (ii) after the meeting, if the meeting was closed to the public;
             186          (f) employment records concerning a current or former employee of, or applicant for
             187      employment with, a governmental entity that would disclose that individual's home address,
             188      home telephone number, Social Security number, insurance coverage, marital status, or payroll
             189      deductions;
             190          (g) records or parts of records under Section 63-2-302.5 that a current or former
             191      employee identifies as private according to the requirements of that section;
             192          (h) that part of a record indicating a person's Social Security number or federal
             193      employer identification number if provided under Section 31A-23a-104 , 31A-25-202 ,
             194      31A-26-202 , 58-1-301 , 61-1-4 , or 61-2-6 ;
             195          (i) that part of a voter registration record identifying a voter's driver license or
             196      identification card number, Social Security number, or last four digits of the Social Security
             197      number;
             198          (j) a record that:
             199          (i) contains information about an individual;
             200          (ii) is voluntarily provided by the individual; and
             201          (iii) goes into an electronic database that:
             202          (A) is designated by and administered under the authority of the Chief Information
             203      Officer; and
             204          (B) acts as a repository of information about the individual that can be electronically
             205      retrieved and used to facilitate the individual's online interaction with a state agency;
             206          (k) information provided to the Commissioner of Insurance under:
             207          (i) Subsection 31A-23a-115 (2)(a); or
             208          (ii) Subsection 31A-23a-302 (3); and
             209          (l) information obtained through a criminal background check under Title 11, Chapter
             210      40, Criminal Background Checks by Political Subdivisions Operating Water Systems.
             211          (2) The following records are private if properly classified by a governmental entity:
             212          (a) (i) records concerning a current or former employee of, or applicant for
             213      employment with a governmental entity, including performance evaluations and personal status


             214      information such as race, religion, or disabilities, but not including:
             215          (A) records that are public under Subsection 63-2-301 (2)(b) [or 63-2-301 (3)(o), or
             216      private under Subsection (1)(b)];
             217          (B) records that are public under Subsection 63-2-301 (3)(o); or
             218          (C) records that are private under Subsection (1)(b); and
             219          (ii) records that disclose information relating to formal charges or disciplinary actions
             220      against a peace officer as defined under Section 53-1-102 or a peace officer under Section
             221      17-30-19 , unless the peace officer gives written consent to classification of the document as a
             222      public record;
             223          (b) records describing an individual's finances, except that the following are public:
             224          (i) records described in Subsection 63-2-301 (2);
             225          (ii) information provided to the governmental entity for the purpose of complying with
             226      a financial assurance requirement; or
             227          (iii) records that must be disclosed in accordance with another statute;
             228          (c) records of independent state agencies if the disclosure of those records would
             229      conflict with the fiduciary obligations of the agency;
             230          (d) other records containing data on individuals the disclosure of which constitutes a
             231      clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; and
             232          (e) records provided by the United States or by a government entity outside the state
             233      that are given with the requirement that the records be managed as private records, if the
             234      providing entity states in writing that the record would not be subject to public disclosure if
             235      retained by it.
             236          (3) (a) As used in this Subsection (3), "medical records" means medical reports,
             237      records, statements, history, diagnosis, condition, treatment, and evaluation.
             238          (b) Medical records in the possession of the University of Utah Hospital, its clinics,
             239      doctors, or affiliated entities are not private records or controlled records under Section
             240      63-2-303 when the records are sought:
             241          (i) in connection with any legal or administrative proceeding in which the patient's
             242      physical, mental, or emotional condition is an element of any claim or defense; or
             243          (ii) after a patient's death, in any legal or administrative proceeding in which any party
             244      relies upon the condition as an element of the claim or defense.


             245          (c) Medical records are subject to production in a legal or administrative proceeding
             246      according to state or federal statutes or rules of procedure and evidence as if the medical
             247      records were in the possession of a nongovernmental medical care provider.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-6-08 9:59 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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