Texas Government Code - GOV'T § 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:

(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.