Chapter 666 Oregon Laws 1999

Session Law

AN ACT

HB 3397

Relating to special district records; amending ORS 192.502.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. ORS 192.502 is amended to read:

192.502. The following public records are exempt from disclosure under ORS 192.410 to 192.505:

(1) Communications 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 any final agency determination of policy or action. This exemption shall 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.

(2) Information of a personal nature such as but not limited to that kept in a personal, medical or similar file, if the public disclosure thereof would constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy, unless the public interest by clear and convincing evidence requires disclosure in the particular instance. The party seeking disclosure shall have the burden of showing that public disclosure would not constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy.

(3)(a) Public body employee or volunteer addresses and telephone numbers contained in personnel records maintained by the public body that is the employer or the recipient of volunteer services. This exemption does not apply:

(A) To such employees or volunteers if they are elected officials, except that a judge or district attorney subject to election may seek to exempt the judge's or district attorney's address or telephone number, or both, under the terms of ORS 192.445; or

(B) To such employees or volunteers to the extent that the party seeking disclosure shows by clear and convincing evidence that the public interest requires disclosure in a particular instance.

(b) Nothing in this subsection exempting employee records from disclosure relieves a public employer of any duty under ORS 243.650 to 243.782.

(4) Information submitted to a public body in confidence and not otherwise required by law to be submitted, where such information should reasonably be considered confidential, the public body has obliged itself in good faith not to disclose the information, and when the public interest would suffer by the disclosure.

(5) Information or records of the Department of Corrections, including the State Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision, to the extent that disclosure thereof would interfere with the rehabilitation of a person in custody of the department or substantially prejudice or prevent the carrying out of the functions of the department, if the public interest in confidentiality clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

(6) Records, reports and other information received or compiled by the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services in the administration of ORS chapters 723 and 725 not otherwise required by law to be made public, to the extent that the interests of lending institutions, their officers, employees and customers in preserving the confidentiality of such information outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

(7) Reports made to or filed with the court under ORS 137.077 or 137.530.

(8) Any public records or information the disclosure of which is prohibited by federal law or regulations.

(9) Public records or information the disclosure of which is prohibited or restricted or otherwise made confidential or privileged under Oregon law.

(10) Public records or information described in this section, furnished by the public body originally compiling, preparing or receiving them to any other public officer or public body in connection with performance of the duties of the recipient, if the considerations originally giving rise to the confidential or exempt nature of the public records or information remain applicable.

(11) Records of the Energy Facility Siting Council concerning the review or approval of security programs pursuant to ORS 469.530.

(12) Employee and retiree address, telephone number and other nonfinancial membership records and employee financial records maintained by the Public Employees Retirement System pursuant to ORS chapter 238 and ORS 238.410.

(13) Records submitted by private persons or businesses to the State Treasurer or the Oregon Investment Council relating to proposed acquisition, exchange or liquidation of public investments under ORS chapter 293 may be treated as exempt from disclosure when and only to the extent that disclosure of such records reasonably may be expected to substantially limit the ability of the Oregon Investment Council to effectively compete or negotiate for, solicit or conclude such transactions. Records which relate to concluded transactions are not subject to this exemption.

(14) The monthly reports prepared and submitted under ORS 293.761 and 293.766 concerning the Public Employees Retirement Fund and the Industrial Accident Fund may be uniformly treated as exempt from disclosure for a period of up to 90 days after the end of the calendar quarter.

(15) Reports of unclaimed property filed by the holders of such property to the extent permitted by ORS 98.352.

(16) The following records, communications and information submitted to the Oregon Economic Development Commission, the Economic Development Department, the State Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Resource and Technology Development Corporation, the Port of Portland or other ports, as defined in ORS 777.005, by applicants for loans or services described in ORS 285A.224:

(a) Personal financial statements.

(b) Financial statements of applicants.

(d) Information of an applicant pertaining to litigation to which the applicant is a party if the complaint has been filed, or if the complaint has not been filed, if the applicant shows that such litigation is reasonably likely to occur; this exemption does not apply to litigation which has been concluded, and nothing in this paragraph shall limit any right or opportunity granted by discovery or deposition statutes to a party to litigation or potential litigation.

(e) Production, sales and cost data.

(f) Marketing strategy information that relates to applicant's plan to address specific markets and applicant's strategy regarding specific competitors.

(17) Records, reports or returns submitted by private concerns or enterprises required by law to be submitted to or inspected by a governmental body to allow it to determine the amount of any transient lodging tax payable and the amounts of such tax payable or paid, to the extent that such information is in a form which would permit identification of the individual concern or enterprise. Nothing in this subsection shall limit the use which can be made of such information for regulatory purposes or its admissibility in any enforcement proceedings. The public body shall notify the taxpayer of the delinquency immediately by certified mail. However, in the event that the payment or delivery of transient lodging taxes otherwise due to a public body is delinquent by over 60 days, the public body shall disclose, upon the request of any person, the following information:

(a) The identity of the individual concern or enterprise that is delinquent over 60 days in the payment or delivery of the taxes.

(b) The period for which the taxes are delinquent.

(18) All information supplied by a person under ORS 151.430 to 151.491 for the purpose of requesting court-appointed counsel, and all information supplied to the State Court Administrator from whatever source for the purpose of verifying indigency of a person pursuant to ORS 151.430 to 151.491.

(19) Workers' compensation claim records of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, except in accordance with rules adopted by the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, in any of the following circumstances:

(a) When necessary for insurers, self-insured employers and third party claim administrators to process workers' compensation claims.

(b) When necessary for the director, other governmental agencies of this state or the United States to carry out their duties, functions or powers.

(c) When the disclosure is made in such a manner that the disclosed information cannot be used to identify any worker who is the subject of a claim.

(d) When a worker or the worker's representative requests review of the worker's claim record.

(20) Sensitive business records or financial or commercial information of the Oregon Health Sciences University that is not customarily provided to business competitors.

(21) Records of the Oregon Health Sciences University regarding candidates for the position of university president.

(22) The records of a library, including circulation records, showing use of specific library material by a named person or consisting of the name of a library patron together with the address or telephone number, or both, of the patron.

(23) The following records, communications and information submitted to the Housing and Community Services Department by applicants for and recipients of loans, grants and tax credits:

(a) Personal and corporate financial statements and information, including tax returns.

(b) Credit reports.

(d) Market studies and analyses.

(e) Articles of incorporation, partnership agreements and operating agreements.

(f) Commitment letters.

(g) Project pro forma statements.

(h) Project cost certifications and cost data.

(i) Audits.

(j) Project tenant correspondence requested to be confidential.

(k) Tenant files relating to certification.

(L) Housing assistance payment requests.

(24) Raster geographic information system (GIS) digital databases, provided by private forestland owners or their representatives, voluntarily and in confidence to the State Forestry Department, that is not otherwise required by law to be submitted.

(25) A record of the street and number of an employee's address submitted to a special district to obtain assistance in promoting an alternative to single occupant motor vehicle transportation.

Approved by the Governor July 13, 1999

Filed in the office of Secretary of State July 14, 1999

Effective date October 23, 1999

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