May 10, 2007

Ms. Sharon Alexander
Associate General Counsel
Texas Department of Transportation
125 East 11^th Street
Austin, Texas 78701-2483

OR2007-05686

Dear Ms. Alexander:

You ask whether certain information is subject to required public disclosure under the Public Information Act (the "Act"), chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 278259.

The Texas Department of Transportation (the "department") received a request for the scores of all the applicants interviewed for a specified position and the interviews, answers, and scores of the top three candidates. You claim that the submitted information is excepted from disclosure under section 552.122 of the Government Code. We have considered the exception you claim and reviewed the submitted representative sample of information. ⁽¹⁾

Initially, we note that the department did not submit the requested scores of all the applicants for our review. To the extent this information existed when the department received the request for information, we assume that the department has released this information to the requestor. If not, then the department must do so immediately. See Gov't Code §§ 552.006, 552.301, 552.302; Open Records Decision No. 664 (2000).

We now address the department's argument that the submitted information is excepted from disclosure under section 552.122 of the Government Code. This section excepts from required public disclosure "a test item developed by a . . . governmental body[.]" Gov't Code § 552.122(b). In Open Records Decision No. 626 (1994), this office determined that the term "test item" in section 552.122 includes "any standard means by which an individual's or group's knowledge or ability in a particular area is evaluated," but does not encompass evaluations of an employee's overall job performance or suitability. Id. at 6. The question of whether specific information falls within the scope of section 552.122(b) must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Id. Traditionally, this office has applied section 552.122 where release of "test items" might compromise the effectiveness of future examinations. Id. at 4-5; see also Open Records Decision No. 118 (1976). Section 552.122 also protects the answers to test questions when the answers might reveal the questions themselves. See Attorney General Opinion JM-640 at 3 (1987); Open Records Decision No. 626 at 8 (1994).

You state that the submitted interview questions "involve standards by which an individual's stated knowledge or ability in a particular area is evaluated" and do not concern the applicant's qualifications or experience. You further state that the department "anticipates using these interview questions for future job vacancies." Having considered your arguments and reviewed the submitted information, we find that interview questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 16 qualify as test items under section 552.122(b) of the Government Code. We also find that the release of the model and actual answers to these questions would tend to reveal the questions themselves. Therefore, pursuant to section 552.122(b) of the Government Code, the department may withhold questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 16 along with the corresponding models and actual answers. However, we find that interview questions 13 and 14 are general questions evaluating an applicant's individual abilities, personal opinions, and subjective ability to respond to particular situations, and do not test any specific knowledge of an applicant. Accordingly, interview questions 13 and 14, as well as the model and actual answers to those questions, may not be withheld from disclosure under section 552.122 of the Government Code. As you raise no further exceptions to disclosure, interview questions 13 and 14 and their corresponding model and actual answers must be released.

This letter ruling is limited to the particular records at issue in this request and limited to the facts as presented to us; therefore, this ruling must not be relied upon as a previous determination regarding any other records or any other circumstances.

This ruling triggers important deadlines regarding the rights and responsibilities of the governmental body and of the requestor. For example, governmental bodies are prohibited from asking the attorney general to reconsider this ruling. Gov't Code § 552.301(f). If the governmental body wants to challenge this ruling, the governmental body must appeal by filing suit in Travis County within 30 calendar days. Id. § 552.324(b). In order to get the full benefit of such an appeal, the governmental body must file suit within 10 calendar days. Id. §  552.353(b)(3), (c). If the governmental body does not appeal this ruling and the governmental body does not comply with it, then both the requestor and the attorney general have the right to file suit against the governmental body to enforce this ruling. Id. § 552.321(a).

If this ruling requires the governmental body to release all or part of the requested information, the governmental body is responsible for taking the next step. Based on the statute, the attorney general expects that, upon receiving this ruling, the governmental body will either release the public records promptly pursuant to section 552.221(a) of the Government Code or file a lawsuit challenging this ruling pursuant to section 552.324 of the Government Code. If the governmental body fails to do one of these things, then the requestor should report that failure to the attorney general's Open Government Hotline, toll free, at (877) 673-6839. The requestor may also file a complaint with the district or county attorney. Id. § 552.3215(e).

If this ruling requires or permits the governmental body to withhold all or some of the requested information, the requestor can appeal that decision by suing the governmental body. Id. § 552.321(a); Texas Dep't of Pub. Safety v. Gilbreath, 842 S.W.2d 408, 411 (Tex. App.--Austin 1992, no writ).

Please remember that under the Act the release of information triggers certain procedures for costs and charges to the requestor. If records are released in compliance with this ruling, be sure that all charges for the information are at or below the legal amounts. Questions or complaints about over-charging must be directed to Hadassah Schloss at the Office of the Attorney General at (512) 475-2497.

If the governmental body, the requestor, or any other person has questions or comments about this ruling, they may contact our office. Although there is no statutory deadline for contacting us, the attorney general prefers to receive any comments within 10 calendar days of the date of this ruling.

Sincerely,

Aries Solis

Assistant Attorney General

Open Records Division

AS/eeg

Ref: ID# 278259

Enc. Submitted documents

c: Mr. Russell Gillette

P.O. Box 653

Comanche, Texas 76442

(w/o enclosures)

Footnotes

1. We assume that the "representative sample" of records submitted to this office is truly representative of the requested records as a whole. See Open Records Decision Nos. 499 (1988), 497 (1988). This open records letter does not reach, and therefore does not authorize the withholding of, any other requested records to the extent that those records contain substantially different types of information than that submitted to this office.

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