I'm starting to hear about this trend. Is it happening to your library? On the one hand, it sounds so far fetched that anyone would go to the trouble to get patron email addresses by making public records requests to libraries. Further, it seems so obvious that this personal information would/should be exempted, but you'd have to look at the wording of your state law to see if it is. On the other hand, maybe its cheaper and better information than spammers could buy off other types of marketing lists. After all, library patrons are, whatever else you can say about them, usually real people.
Library folks in Oregon recently told me that SB 950 is moving (and quite likely to pass) in their state legislature. It would exempt patrons' email addresses from public disclosure under the state public records law.
74th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2007 Regular Session
NOTE: Matter within { + braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within { - braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
{ + braces and plus signs + } .
LC 2093
Sponsored by Senator BURDICK; Senators AVAKIAN, CARTER, FERRIOLI,
PROZANSKI, Representatives BERGER, BONAMICI, BUCKLEY, BUTLER,
KRUMMEL, NATHANSON, ROBLAN, SHIELDS (at the request of Oregon
Library Association)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
Exempts patron's electronic mail address in library records
from public disclosure.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to public 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 public
disclosure 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) Public body employee or volunteer addresses, Social
Security numbers, dates of birth and telephone numbers contained
in personnel records maintained by the public body that is the
employer or the recipient of volunteer services. This exemption:
(a) Does not apply to the addresses, dates of birth and
telephone numbers of employees or volunteers who 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;
(b) Does not apply to 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;
(c) Does not apply to a substitute teacher as defined in ORS
342.815 when requested by a professional education association of
which the substitute teacher may be a member; and
(d) Does not relieve 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 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 chapters 238 and 238A.
(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 and Community Development
Commission, the Economic and Community Development Department,
the State Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Growth Account
Board, the Port of Portland or other ports, as defined in ORS
777.005, by applicants for investment funds, loans or services
including, but not limited to, those described in ORS 285A.224:
(a) Personal financial statements.
(b) Financial statements of applicants.
(c) Customer lists.
(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.
(c) The actual, or estimated, amount of the delinquency.
(18) All information supplied by a person under ORS 151.485 for
the purpose of requesting appointed counsel, and all information
supplied to the court from whatever source for the purpose of
verifying the financial eligibility of a person pursuant to ORS
151.485.
(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 and Science University that is
not customarily provided to business competitors.
(21) Records of Oregon Health and Science University regarding
candidates for the position of president of the university.
(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 { + , electronic mail address + }or telephone number
{ - , or both, - } of the patron.
(23) The following records, communications and information
obtained by the Housing and Community Services Department in
connection with the department's monitoring or administration of
financial assistance or of housing or other developments:
(a) Personal and corporate financial statements and
information, including tax returns.
(b) Credit reports.
(c) Project appraisals.
(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.
(k) Personal information about a tenant.
(L) Housing assistance payments.
(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) Sensitive business, commercial or financial information
furnished to or developed by a public body engaged in the
business of providing electricity or electricity services, if the
information is directly related to a transaction described in ORS
261.348, or if the information is directly related to a bid,
proposal or negotiations for the sale or purchase of electricity
or electricity services, and disclosure of the information would
cause a competitive disadvantage for the public body or its
retail electricity customers. This subsection does not apply to
cost-of-service studies used in the development or review of
generally applicable rate schedules.
(26) Sensitive business, commercial or financial information
furnished to or developed by the City of Klamath Falls, acting
solely in connection with the ownership and operation of the
Klamath Cogeneration Project, if the information is directly
related to a transaction described in ORS 225.085 and disclosure
of the information would cause a competitive disadvantage for the
Klamath Cogeneration Project. This subsection does not apply to
cost-of-service studies used in the development or review of
generally applicable rate schedules.
(27) Personally identifiable information about customers of a
municipal electric utility or a people's utility district or the
names, dates of birth, driver license numbers, telephone numbers,
electronic mail addresses or Social Security numbers of customers
who receive water, sewer or storm drain services from a public
body as defined in ORS 174.109. The utility or district may
release personally identifiable information about a customer, and
a public body providing water, sewer or storm drain services may
release the name, date of birth, driver license number, telephone
number, electronic mail address or Social Security number of a
customer, if the customer consents in writing or electronically,
if the disclosure is necessary for the utility, district or other
public body to render services to the customer, if the disclosure
is required pursuant to a court order or if the disclosure is
otherwise required by federal or state law. The utility, district
or other public body may charge as appropriate for the costs of
providing such information. The utility, district or other public
body may make customer records available to third party credit
agencies on a regular basis in connection with the establishment
and management of customer accounts or in the event such accounts
are delinquent.
(28) 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.
(29) Sensitive business records, capital development plans or
financial or commercial information of Oregon Corrections
Enterprises that is not customarily provided to business
competitors.
(30) Documents, materials or other information submitted to the
Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services in
confidence by a state, federal, foreign or international
regulatory or law enforcement agency or by the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners, its affiliates or
subsidiaries under ORS 646.380 to 646.398, 697.005 to 697.095,
697.602 to 697.842, 705.137, 717.200 to 717.320, 717.900 or
717.905, ORS chapter 59, 722, 723, 725 or 726, the Bank Act or
the Insurance Code when:
(a) The document, material or other information is received
upon notice or with an understanding that it is confidential or
privileged under the laws of the jurisdiction that is the source
of the document, material or other information; and
(b) The director has obligated the Department of Consumer and
Business Services not to disclose the document, material or other
information.
(31) A county elections security plan developed and filed under
ORS 254.074.
(32) Information about review or approval of programs relating
to the security of:
(a) Generation, storage or conveyance of:
(A) Electricity;
(B) Gas in liquefied or gaseous form;
(C) Hazardous substances as defined in ORS 453.005 (7)(a), (b)
and (d);
(D) Petroleum products;
(E) Sewage; or
(F) Water.
(b) Telecommunication systems, including cellular, wireless or
radio systems.
(c) Data transmissions by whatever means provided.
(33) The information specified in ORS 25.020 (8) if the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court designates the information as
confidential by rule under ORS 1.002.
(34) If requested by a public safety officer as defined in ORS
181.610, the home address, home telephone number and electronic
mail address of the public safety officer. This exemption does
not apply to addresses and telephone numbers that are contained
in county real property or lien records.
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