Participant records held by the retirement system are confidential, with limited allowed disclosures and a few specific administrative exceptions.
Sec. 825.507. RECORD CONFIDENTIALITY. (a) Records of a participant and information about the records of a participant that are in the custody of the retirement system or of an administrator, carrier, attorney, consultant, or governmental agency, including the comptroller, acting in cooperation with or on behalf of the retirement system are confidential and not subject to public disclosure. Because the records and information described by this section are exempt from the public access provisions of Chapter 552, the retirement system or an administering firm, carrier, attorney, consultant, or governmental agency, including the comptroller, acting in cooperation with or on behalf of the retirement system, is not required to accept or comply with a request for a record or information about a record or to seek an opinion from the attorney general, except as otherwise provided by this section. (b) The retirement system may release records of a participant, or information about the records of a participant, including a participant to which Chapter 803 applies, to: (1) the participant or the participant's attorney or guardian or another person who the executive director determines is acting on behalf of the participant; (2) the executor or administrator of the deceased participant's estate, including information relating to the deceased participant's beneficiary, or if an executor or administrator of the deceased participant's estate has not been named, a person or entity who the executive director determines is acting in the interest of the deceased participant's estate, or an heir, legatee, or devisee of the deceased participant; (3) a spouse or former spouse of the participant if the executive director determines that the information is relevant to the spouse's or former spouse's interest in member accounts, benefits, or other amounts payable by the retirement system; (4) an administrator, carrier, consultant, attorney, or agent acting on behalf of the retirement system; (5) a governmental entity, an employer, or the designated agent of an employer, only to the extent the retirement system needs to share the information to perform the purposes of the retirement system, as determined by the executive director; (6) a person authorized by the participant in writing to receive the information; (7) a federal, state, or local criminal law enforcement agency that requests a record for a law enforcement purpose; (8) the attorney general to the extent necessary to enforce child support; or (9) a party in response to a subpoena issued under applicable law if the executive director determines that the participant will have a reasonable opportunity to contest the subpoena. (c) The records of a participant and information about the records remain confidential after release to a person as authorized by this section. This section does not prevent the retirement system or administering firm or carrier acting in cooperation with or on behalf of the retirement system from disclosing or confirming, on an individual basis, the status or identity of a participant as a member, former member, retiree, deceased member or retiree, beneficiary, or alternate payee of the retirement system. (d) The executive director may designate other employees of the retirement system to make the necessary determinations under this section. A determination and disclosure under this section may be made without notice to the participant. (e) The retirement system may make not more than two mailings a year on behalf of a nonprofit association of active or retired school employees, for purposes of association membership and research only, to persons identified in information contained in records that are in the custody of the retirement system. The nonprofit association requesting a mailing shall pay the expenses of the mailing. (f) This section does not authorize the retirement system to compile or disclose a list of participants' names, addresses, including e-mail addresses, or social security numbers unless the executive director determines that a compilation or disclosure is necessary to administer the retirement system. (g) In this section, "participant" means a member, former member, retiree, annuitant, beneficiary, or alternate payee of the retirement system, or an employee or contractor of an employer covered by the retirement system for whom records were received by the retirement system for the purpose of administering the terms of the plan, including for audit or investigative purposes. Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 16, Sec. 11.05(j), eff. Aug. 26, 1991. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 812, Sec. 29, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.95(97), eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1229, Sec. 18, 19 eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1359 (S.B. 1691), Sec. 34, eff. September 1, 2005. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 455 (S.B. 1667), Sec. 19, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1078 (H.B. 3357), Sec. 16, eff. June 14, 2013.