ACIU Policy: Public Records Polic

Texas Public Information Act

The following procedures should be followed according to the Public Information Act. Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, gives you the right to access government records; and an officer for public information and the officer’s agent may not ask why you want them. All government information is presumed to be available to the public. Certain exceptions may apply to the disclosure of the information. Governmental bodies shall promptly release requested information that is not confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision, or information for which an exception to disclosure has not been sought.

Rights of Requestors

You have the right to:

  • Prompt access to information that is not confidential or otherwise protected;
  • Receive treatment equal to all other requestors, including accommodation per the
    Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements;
  • Receive certain kinds of information without exceptions, like the voting record of
    public officials, and other information;
  • Receive a written itemized statement of estimated charges, when charges will exceed
    $40, in advance of work being started and the opportunity to modify the request in
    response to the itemized statement;
  • Choose whether to inspect the requested information (most often at no charge),
    receive copies of the information or both;
  • A waiver or reduction of charges if the governmental body determines that access to
    the information primarily benefits the general public;
  • Receive a copy of the communication from the governmental body asking the Office
    of the Attorney General for a ruling on whether the information can be withheld under
    one of the accepted exceptions, or if the communication discloses the requested
    information, a redacted copy;
  • Lodge a written complaint about overcharges for public information with the General
    Services Commission. Complaints of other possible violations may be filed with the
    county or district attorney of the county where the governmental body, other than a
    state agency, is located. If the complaint is against the county or district attorney, the
    complaint must be filed with the Office of the Attorney General

Responsibilities of Governmental Bodies
All governmental bodies responding to information requests have the responsibility to:

  • Establish reasonable procedures for inspecting or copying public information and inform requestors of these procedures;
  • Treat all requestors uniformly and shall give to the requestor all reasonable comfort and facility, including accommodation per ADA requirements;
  • Be informed about open records laws and educate employees on the requirements of those laws;
  • Inform requestors of the estimated charges greater than $40 and any changes in the estimates above 20 percent of the original estimate, and confirm that the requestor accepts the charges, or has amended the request, in writing before finalizing the request;
  • Inform the requestor if the information cannot be provided promptly and set a date and time to provide it within a reasonable time;
  • Request a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General regarding any information the governmental body wishes to withhold, and send a copy of the request for a ruling, or a redacted copy, to the requestor;
  • Segregate public information from information that may be withheld and provide that public information promptly;
  • Make a good faith attempt to inform third parties when their proprietary information is being requested from the governmental body;
  • Respond in writing to all written communications from the General Services Commission regarding charges for the information. Respond to the Office of the Attorney General regarding complaints about violations of the Act.

Procedures to Obtain Information

  1. Submit a request by mail, fax, email, or in person according to a governmental body’s reasonable procedures.
  2. Include enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the governmental body to accurately identify and locate the information requested.
  3. Cooperate with the governmental body’s reasonable efforts to clarify the type or amount of information requested.
    1. Information to be released

          • You may review it promptly, and if it cannot be produced within ten (10) working days the public information officer will notify you in writing of the reasonable date and time when it will be available.
          • Keep all appointments to inspect records and to pick up copies. Failure to keep appointments may result in losing the opportunity to inspect the information at the time requested

      Cost of Records as designated by the Texas Administrative Code

          • You must respond to any written estimate of charges within ten (10) days of the date the governmental body sent it or the request is considered automatically withdrawn.
          • If estimated costs exceed $100 (or $50 if a governmental body has fewer than 16 full time employees) the governmental body may require a bond, prepayment or deposit.
          • You may ask the governmental body to determine whether providing the information primarily benefits the general public, resulting in a waiver or reduction of charges.
          • Make a timely payment for all mutually agreed charges. A governmental body can demand payment of overdue balances exceeding $100, or obtain a security deposit,
          • before processing additional requests from you.
      2. Information that may be withheld due to an exception
          • By the tenth (10th) business day after a governmental body receives your written request, a governmental body must:
            • request an Attorney General opinion and state which exceptionsapply;
            • notify the requestor of the referral to the Attorney General; and
            • notify third parties if the request involves their proprietary information.To request information from this governmental body, please contact in writing:
          • Failure to request an Attorney General opinion and notify the requestor within 10 business days will result in a presumption that the information is open unless there is a compelling reason to withhold it.
          • Requestors may send a letter to the Attorney General arguing for release and may review arguments made by the governmental body. If the arguments disclose the requested information, the requestor may obtain a redacted copy.
          • The Attorney General must issue a decision no later than the 45th working day from the day after the attorney general receives the request for a decision. The attorney general may request an additional 10 working day extension.
          • Governmental bodies may not ask the Attorney General to “reconsider” an opinion.

To request information from this governmental body, please contact in writing:

AC International University
By mail: Office of the President
Public Information Coordinator
AC International University
Box C-100
Sugarland, Texas 79832

By email: pubinfo@acinternationaluniversity.org
By fax: 832-837-8334
For complaints regarding failure to release public information, please contact your local County or District Attorney.

You may also contact the Office of the Attorney General, Open Records Hotline, at 512-478-6736 or toll-free at 1-877-673-6839.

For complaints regarding overcharges, please contact the Attorney General Hotline at 512-475-2497.

If you need special accommodation at ACIU under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
please contact our ADA coordinator for students Ms. Maria Roel at 432-837-8203 and for
employees Ms. Angeles Chavez at 832-837-8652