USAS and CAPPS Financials Confidentiality Indicator

Determining Confidentiality

Under state law, it is the responsibility of the agency submitting a transaction to determine the confidentiality of the transaction. Transactions are legally considered public unless specifically excluded by the Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552). When an agency marks a transaction confidential, the agency should be prepared to cite the law or attorney general opinion that excludes the payment from public disclosure.

Agencies also have a responsibility to keep confidential information private. In addition to properly marking the confidentiality indicator on confidential transactions, data items described in Business and Commerce Code, Section 521.002, must not be entered into a field not specifically created for that information unless explicitly allowed by Comptroller’s office policy.

Note: Information considered to be Protected Health Information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule must not be submitted to the Comptroller’s office in USAS, CAPPS Financials or by any other method.

For more information, see USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023).