Open Government Resources

Letter from the U.S. Department of Education regarding the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)"

2008 Public Information Handbook

An in-depth look at how the Public Information Act works and how the exceptions to disclosure have been applied by the courts and the Office of the Attorney General. This publication serves as a reference tool for attorneys, government officials, and laypersons.
(PDF Format)

2008 Open Meetings Handbook

An in-depth look at how the Open Meetings Act works, with sections on which governmental bodies must follow the Act, notice requirements, executive sessions, and required record-keeping of meetings.
(PDF Format)

To order free a DVD copy of the Open Meetings and Open Records Act training videos (each video is 1 hour long), which is accompanied by a CD-ROM of the above handbooks in PDF format, call 1-800-252-8011.

Public Information Sign

As of January 3, 2000, in accordance with section 552.205 of the Government Code, all governmental bodies subject to the Texas Public Information Act are required to post a sign containing basic information about the rights of a requestor, the responsibilities of a governmental body, and the procedures for inspecting or obtaining public information. A copy of the sign along with other pertinent information can be found here.

Proprietary Information Notification Form

Section 552.305(d) of the Public Information Act requires governmental bodies to notify a third party when someone requests the third party's proprietary information. This notification shall be "in the form prescribed by the attorney general." This downloadable letter is the form by which governmental bodies should notify such third parties. The letter is updated periodically.
(HTML Format)

Text of the Public Information Act

Text to the Legislature's posting of the Public Information Act

Text of the Open Meetings Act

Text to the Legislature's posting of the Open Meetings Act.

Public Information Act Made Easy

In a question and answer format, this publication, authored by the Office of the Attorney General's Municipal Affairs Section, is designed to address the most common features of the Public Information Act. This publication is tailored to meet the needs of municipalities, but is a useful resource for all governmental bodies.
(PDF Format)

Open Meetings Made Easy

In a question and answer format, this publication, authored by the Office of the Attorney General's Municipal Affairs Section, is designed to address the most common features of the Open Meetings Act. This publication is tailored to meet the needs of municipalities, but is a useful resource for all governmental bodies.
(PDF Format)

Public Officers: Traps for the Unwary

This publication provides information for public officers, public employees, and attorneys providing legal services to governmental entities. Topics covered include: conflict of interest laws, resign-to-run provisions, the common law rule of incompatibility of office, and the Whistleblower Act.>
(PDF Format)