SENATE BILL No. 642

 

 

July 17, 2003, Introduced by Senators BRATER, JACOBS, SCHAUER, CLARK-COLEMAN, OLSHOVE, SCOTT, SWITALSKI, CROPSEY, PATTERSON and BISHOP and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1976 PA 442, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Freedom of information act,"                                               

                                                                                

    by amending section 13 (MCL 15.243), as amended by 2002 PA 437.             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 13.  (1) A public body may exempt from disclosure as a                 

                                                                                

2   public record under this act any of the following:                          

                                                                                

3       (a) Information of a personal nature if public disclosure of                

                                                                                

4   the information would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion             

                                                                                

5   of an individual's privacy.                                                 

                                                                                

6       (b) Investigating records compiled for law enforcement                      

                                                                                

7   purposes, but only to the extent that disclosure as a public                

                                                                                

8   record would do any of the following:                                       

                                                                                

9                                                                                (i) Interfere with law enforcement proceedings.                                     

                                                                                

10      (ii) Deprive a person of the right to a fair trial or                        

                                                                                

11  impartial administrative adjudication.                                      

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (iii) Constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal                         

                                                                                

2   privacy.                                                                    

                                                                                

3       (iv) Disclose the identity of a confidential source, or if                   

                                                                                

4   the record is compiled by a law enforcement agency in the course            

                                                                                

5   of a criminal investigation, disclose confidential information              

                                                                                

6   furnished only by a confidential source.                                    

                                                                                

7       (v) Disclose law enforcement investigative techniques or                    

                                                                                

8   procedures.                                                                 

                                                                                

9       (vi) Endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement                 

                                                                                

10  personnel.                                                                  

                                                                                

11      (c) A public record that if disclosed would prejudice a                     

                                                                                

12  public body's ability to maintain the physical security of                  

                                                                                

13  custodial or penal institutions occupied by persons arrested or             

                                                                                

14  convicted of a crime or admitted because of a mental disability,            

                                                                                

15  unless the public interest in disclosure under this act outweighs           

                                                                                

16  the public interest in nondisclosure.                                       

                                                                                

17      (d) Records or information specifically described and                       

                                                                                

18  exempted from disclosure by statute.                                        

                                                                                

19      (e) A public record or information described in this section                

                                                                                

20  that is furnished by the public body originally compiling,                  

                                                                                

21  preparing, or receiving the record or information to a public               

                                                                                

22  officer or public body in connection with the performance of the            

                                                                                

23  duties of that public officer or public body, if the                        

                                                                                

24  considerations originally giving rise to the exempt nature of the           

                                                                                

25  public record remain applicable.                                            

                                                                                

26      (f) Trade secrets or commercial or financial information                    

                                                                                

27  voluntarily provided to an agency for use in developing                     


                                                                                

1   governmental policy if:                                                     

                                                                                

2                                                                                (i) The information is submitted upon a promise of                                  

                                                                                

3   confidentiality by the public body.                                         

                                                                                

4       (ii) The promise of confidentiality is authorized by the                     

                                                                                

5   chief administrative officer of the public body or by an elected            

                                                                                

6   official at the time the promise is made.                                   

                                                                                

7       (iii) A description of the information is recorded by the                    

                                                                                

8   public body within a reasonable time after it has been submitted,           

                                                                                

9   maintained in a central place within the public body, and made              

                                                                                

10  available to a person upon request.  This subdivision does not              

                                                                                

11  apply to information submitted as required by law or as a                   

                                                                                

12  condition of receiving a governmental contract, license, or other           

                                                                                

13  benefit.                                                                    

                                                                                

14      (g) Information or records subject to the attorney-client                   

                                                                                

15  privilege.                                                                  

                                                                                

16      (h) Information or records subject to the physician-patient                 

                                                                                

17  privilege, the psychologist-patient privilege, the minister,                

                                                                                

18  priest, or Christian Science practitioner privilege, or other               

                                                                                

19  privilege recognized by statute or court rule.                              

                                                                                

20      (i) A bid or proposal by a person to enter into a contract or               

                                                                                

21  agreement, until the time for the public opening of bids or                 

                                                                                

22  proposals, or if a public opening is not to be conducted, until             

                                                                                

23  the deadline for submission of bids or proposals has expired.               

                                                                                

24      (j) Appraisals of real property to be acquired by the public                

                                                                                

25  body until either of the following occurs:                                  

                                                                                

26                                                                               (i) An agreement is entered into.                                                   

                                                                                

27      (ii) Three years have elapsed since the making of the                        


                                                                                

1   appraisal, unless litigation relative to the acquisition has not            

                                                                                

2   yet terminated.                                                             

                                                                                

3       (k) Test questions and answers, scoring keys, and other                     

                                                                                

4   examination instruments or data used to administer a license,               

                                                                                

5   public employment, or academic examination, unless the public               

                                                                                

6   interest in disclosure under this act outweighs the public                  

                                                                                

7   interest in nondisclosure.                                                  

                                                                                

8                                                                                (l) Medical, counseling, or psychological facts or                                  

                                                                                

9   evaluations concerning an individual if the individual's identity           

                                                                                

10  would be revealed by a disclosure of those facts or evaluation.             

                                                                                

11      (m) Communications and notes within a public body or between                

                                                                                

12  public bodies of an advisory nature to the extent that they cover           

                                                                                

13  other than purely factual materials and are preliminary to a                

                                                                                

14  final agency determination of policy or action.  This exemption             

                                                                                

15  does not apply unless the public body shows that in the                     

                                                                                

16  particular instance the public interest in encouraging frank                

                                                                                

17  communication between officials and employees of public bodies              

                                                                                

18  clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.  This                  

                                                                                

19  exemption does not constitute an exemption under state law for              

                                                                                

20  purposes of section 8(h) of the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267,             

                                                                                

21  MCL 15.268.  As used in this subdivision, "determination of                 

                                                                                

22  policy or action" includes a determination relating to collective           

                                                                                

23  bargaining, unless the public record is otherwise required to be            

                                                                                

24  made available under 1947 PA 336, MCL 423.201 to 423.217.                   

                                                                                

25      (n) Records of law enforcement communication codes, or plans                

                                                                                

26  for deployment of law enforcement personnel, that if disclosed              

                                                                                

27  would prejudice a public body's ability to protect the public               


                                                                                

1   safety unless the public interest in disclosure under this act              

                                                                                

2   outweighs the public interest in nondisclosure in the particular            

                                                                                

3   instance.                                                                   

                                                                                

4       (o) Information that would reveal the exact location of                     

                                                                                

5   archaeological sites.  The department of history, arts, and                 

                                                                                

6   libraries may promulgate rules in accordance with the                       

                                                                                

7   administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to           

                                                                                

8   24.328, to provide for the disclosure of the location of                    

                                                                                

9   archaeological sites for purposes relating to the preservation or           

                                                                                

10  scientific examination of sites.                                            

                                                                                

11      (p) Testing data developed by a public body in determining                  

                                                                                

12  whether bidders' products meet the specifications for purchase of           

                                                                                

13  those products by the public body, if disclosure of the data                

                                                                                

14  would reveal that only 1 bidder has met the specifications.  This           

                                                                                

15  subdivision does not apply after 1 year has elapsed from the time           

                                                                                

16  the public body completes the testing.                                      

                                                                                

17      (q) Academic transcripts of an institution of higher                        

                                                                                

18  education established under section 5, 6, or 7 of article VIII of           

                                                                                

19  the state constitution of 1963, if the transcript pertains to a             

                                                                                

20  student who is delinquent in the payment of financial obligations           

                                                                                

21  to the institution.                                                         

                                                                                

22      (r) Records of a campaign committee including a committee                   

                                                                                

23  that receives money from a state campaign fund.                             

                                                                                

24      (s) Unless the public interest in disclosure outweighs the                  

                                                                                

25  public interest in nondisclosure in the particular instance,                

                                                                                

26  public records of a law enforcement agency, the release of which            

                                                                                

27  would do any of the following:                                              


                                                                                

1                                                                                (i) Identify or provide a means of identifying an informant.                        

                                                                                

2       (ii) Identify or provide a means of identifying a law                        

                                                                                

3   enforcement undercover officer or agent or a plain clothes                  

                                                                                

4   officer as a law enforcement officer or agent.                              

                                                                                

5       (iii) Disclose the personal address or telephone number of                   

                                                                                

6   active or retired law enforcement officers or agents or a special           

                                                                                

7   skill that they may have.                                                   

                                                                                

8       (iv) Disclose the name, address, or telephone numbers of                     

                                                                                

9   family members, relatives, children, or parents of active or                

                                                                                

10  retired law enforcement officers or agents.                                 

                                                                                

11      (v) Disclose operational instructions for law enforcement                   

                                                                                

12  officers or agents.                                                         

                                                                                

13      (vi) Reveal the contents of staff manuals provided for law                   

                                                                                

14  enforcement officers or agents.                                             

                                                                                

15      (vii) Endanger the life or safety of law enforcement officers                

                                                                                

16  or agents or their families, relatives, children, parents, or               

                                                                                

17  those who furnish information to law enforcement departments or             

                                                                                

18  agencies.                                                                   

                                                                                

19      (viii) Identify or provide a means of identifying a person as                 

                                                                                

20  a law enforcement officer, agent, or informant.                             

                                                                                

21      (ix) Disclose personnel records of law enforcement agencies.                 

                                                                                

22      (x) Identify or provide a means of identifying residences                   

                                                                                

23  that law enforcement agencies are requested to check in the                 

                                                                                

24  absence of their owners or tenants.                                         

                                                                                

25      (t) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, records               

                                                                                

26  and information pertaining to an investigation or a compliance              

                                                                                

27  conference conducted by the department of consumer and industry             


                                                                                

1   services under article 15 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368,           

                                                                                

2   MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, before a complaint is issued.  This             

                                                                                

3   subdivision does not apply to records or information pertaining             

                                                                                

4   to 1 or more of the following:                                              

                                                                                

5                                                                                (i) The fact that an allegation has been received and an                            

                                                                                

6   investigation is being conducted, and the date the allegation was           

                                                                                

7   received.                                                                   

                                                                                

8       (ii) The fact that an allegation was received by the                         

                                                                                

9   department of consumer and industry services; the fact that the             

                                                                                

10  department of consumer and industry services did not issue a                

                                                                                

11  complaint for the allegation; and the fact that the allegation              

                                                                                

12  was dismissed.                                                              

                                                                                

13      (u) Records of a public body's security measures, including                 

                                                                                

14  security plans, security codes and combinations, passwords,                 

                                                                                

15  passes, keys, and security procedures, to the extent that the               

                                                                                

16  records relate to the ongoing security of the public body.                  

                                                                                

17      (v) Records or information relating to a civil action in                    

                                                                                

18  which the requesting party and the public body are parties.                 

                                                                                

19      (w) Information or records that would disclose the social                   

                                                                                

20  security number of an individual.                                           

                                                                                

21      (x) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, an                    

                                                                                

22  application for the position of president of an institution of              

                                                                                

23  higher education established under section 4, 5, or 6 of article            

                                                                                

24  VIII of the state constitution of 1963, materials submitted with            

                                                                                

25  such an application, letters of recommendation or references                

                                                                                

26  concerning an applicant, and records or information relating to             

                                                                                

27  the process of searching for and selecting an individual for a              


                                                                                

1   position described in this subdivision, if the records or                   

                                                                                

2   information could be used to identify a candidate for the                   

                                                                                

3   position.  However, after 1 or more individuals have been                   

                                                                                

4   identified as finalists for a position described in this                    

                                                                                

5   subdivision, this subdivision does not apply to a public record             

                                                                                

6   described in this subdivision, except a letter of recommendation            

                                                                                

7   or reference, to the extent that the public record relates to an            

                                                                                

8   individual identified as a finalist for the position.                       

                                                                                

9       (y) Records or information of measures designed to protect                  

                                                                                

10  the security or safety of persons or property, whether public or            

                                                                                

11  private, including, but not limited to, building, public works,             

                                                                                

12  and public water supply designs to the extent that those designs            

                                                                                

13  relate to the ongoing security measures of a public body,                   

                                                                                

14  capabilities and plans for responding to a violation of the                 

                                                                                

15  Michigan anti-terrorism act, chapter LXXXIII-A of the Michigan              

                                                                                

16  penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.543a to 750.543z, emergency                

                                                                                

17  response plans, risk planning documents, threat assessments, and            

                                                                                

18  domestic preparedness strategies, unless disclosure would not               

                                                                                

19  impair a public body's ability to protect the security or safety            

                                                                                

20  of persons or property or unless the public interest in                     

                                                                                

21  disclosure outweighs the public interest in nondisclosure in the            

                                                                                

22  particular instance.                                                        

                                                                                

23      (z) Information or records of a public school, including                    

                                                                                

24  information contained in a public school student directory, that            

                                                                                

25  would reveal the name, address, telephone number, photograph, or            

                                                                                

26  other identifying information about a student at that public                

                                                                                

27  school.  As used in this subdivision, "public school" means that            


                                                                                

1   term as defined in section 5 of the revised school code, 1976 PA            

                                                                                

2   451, MCL 380.5.                                                             

                                                                                

3       (2) A public body shall exempt from disclosure information                  

                                                                                

4   that, if released, would prevent the public body from complying             

                                                                                

5   with section 444 of subpart 4 of part C of the general education            

                                                                                

6   provisions act, title IV of Public Law 90-247, 20 U.S.C. 1232g,             

                                                                                

7   commonly referred to as the family educational rights and privacy           

                                                                                

8   act of 1974.  A public body that is a local or intermediate                 

                                                                                

9   school district or a public school academy shall exempt from                

                                                                                

10  disclosure directory information, as defined by section 444 of              

                                                                                

11  subpart 4 of part C of the general education provisions act,                

                                                                                

12  title IV of Public Law 90-247, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, commonly referred           

                                                                                

13  to as the family educational rights and privacy act of 1974,                

                                                                                

14  requested for the purpose of surveys, marketing, or solicitation,           

                                                                                

15  unless that public body determines that the use is consistent               

                                                                                

16  with the educational mission of the public body and beneficial to           

                                                                                

17  the affected students.  A public body that is a local or                    

                                                                                

18  intermediate school district or a public school academy may take            

                                                                                

19  steps to ensure that directory information disclosed under this             

                                                                                

20  subsection shall not be used, rented, or sold for the purpose of            

                                                                                

21  surveys, marketing, or solicitation.  Before disclosing the                 

                                                                                

22  directory information, a public body that is a local or                     

                                                                                

23  intermediate school district or a public school academy may                 

                                                                                

24  require the requester to execute an affidavit stating that                  

                                                                                

25  directory information provided under this subsection shall not be           

                                                                                

26  used, rented, or sold for the purpose of surveys, marketing, or             

                                                                                

27  solicitation.                                                               


                                                                                

1       (3) This act does not authorize the withholding of                          

                                                                                

2   information otherwise required by law to be made available to the           

                                                                                

3   public or to a party in a contested case under the administrative           

                                                                                

4   procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.                  

                                                                                

5       (4) Except as otherwise exempt under subsection (1), this act               

                                                                                

6   does not authorize the withholding of a public record in the                

                                                                                

7   possession of the executive office of the governor or lieutenant            

                                                                                

8   governor, or an employee of either executive office, if the                 

                                                                                

9   public record is transferred to the executive office of the                 

                                                                                

10  governor or lieutenant governor, or an employee of either                   

                                                                                

11  executive office, after a request for the public record has been            

                                                                                

12  received by a state officer, employee, agency, department,                  

                                                                                

13  division, bureau, board, commission, council, authority, or other           

                                                                                

14  body in the executive branch of government that is subject to               

                                                                                

15  this act.