To make payment information available to the public promptly, the Comptroller’s office must be able to distinguish between confidential and nonconfidential payments. State agencies and institutions of higher education must mark confidential transactions to protect payee confidentiality, per USAS and CAPPS Financials Confidentiality Indicator (FPP E.045).
The agency or institution submitting a transaction is responsible for determining confidentiality. Transactions are legally considered public unless specifically excluded by the Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552).
An agency or institution that marks a transaction as confidential should be prepared to cite the law or attorney general opinion that excludes the payment from public disclosure.
