The Texas Juvenile Justice Department must keep certain juvenile justice information confidential and generally may not disseminate or release it in identifiable form, with specific exceptions for approved access and legislative purposes.
Sec. 58.009. DISSEMINATION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE INFORMATION BY THE TEXAS JUVENILE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. (a) Except as provided by this section, juvenile justice information collected and maintained by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department for statistical and research purposes is confidential information for the use of the department and may not be disseminated by the department. (b) Juvenile justice information consists of information of the type described by Section 58.104, including statistical data in any form or medium collected, maintained, or submitted to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department under Section 221.007, Human Resources Code. (c) The Texas Juvenile Justice Department may grant access to juvenile justice information: (1) for research and statistical purposes or for any other purpose approved by the department to: (A) criminal justice agencies as defined by Section 411.082, Government Code; (B) the Texas Education Agency, as authorized under Section 37.084, Education Code; (C) any agency under the authority of the Health and Human Services Commission; or (D) the Department of Family and Protective Services; or (2) for a purpose beneficial to and approved by the department to an individual or entity that: (A) is working on a research or statistical project that meets the requirements of and is approved by the department; and (B) has a specific agreement with the department that: (i) specifically authorizes access to identifiable juvenile justice information; (ii) limits the use of the information to the purposes for which the information is given; (iii) ensures the security and confidentiality of the information; and (iv) provides for sanctions if a requirement imposed under Subparagraph (i), (ii), or (iii) is violated. (d) Repealed by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 950 (S.B. 1727), Sec. 56(1), eff. September 1, 2023. (e) The Texas Juvenile Justice Department shall grant access to juvenile justice information for legislative purposes under Section 552.008, Government Code. (f) The Texas Juvenile Justice Department may not release juvenile justice information in identifiable form, except for information released under Subsection (c). For purposes of this subsection, identifiable information means information that contains a juvenile offender's name or other personal identifiers or that can, by virtue of sample size or other factors, be reasonably interpreted as referring to a particular juvenile offender. (f-1) In accordance with Chapter 552, Government Code, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department may grant access to juvenile justice information that is not identifiable information for research or statistical purposes or for any other purpose approved by the department to: (1) criminal justice agencies as defined by Section 411.082, Government Code; (2) the Texas Education Agency, as authorized under Section 37.084, Education Code; (3) any agency under the authority of the Health and Human Services Commission; (4) the Department of Family and Protective Services; (5) a public or private university; or (6) an individual or entity working on a research or statistical project. (g) Except as provided by Subsection (e), the Texas Juvenile Justice Department is permitted but not required to release or disclose juvenile justice information to any person identified under this section. Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 949 (H.B. 1575), Sec. 17, eff. September 1, 2005. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 908 (H.B. 2884), Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 85 (S.B. 653), Sec. 3.009, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 734 (H.B. 1549), Sec. 62, eff. September 1, 2015. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 316 (H.B. 5), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2017. Redesignated and amended from Family Code, Section 58.0072 by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 746 (S.B. 1304), Sec. 14, eff. September 1, 2017. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 131 (H.B. 1760), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2019. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 950 (S.B. 1727), Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2023. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 950 (S.B. 1727), Sec. 56(1), eff. September 1, 2023.