January 5, 2011

Mr. Tyler Wallach

Assistant City Attorney

City of Fort Worth

1000 Throckmorton Street, 3rd Floor

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

OR2010-00291

Dear Mr. Wallach:

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# 404948 (Fort Worth PIR No. W004307).

The City of Fort Worth (the "city") received a request for information pertaining to a specified case number. You claim that portions of the submitted information are excepted from disclosure under section 552.136 of the Government Code. We have considered the exception you claim and reviewed the submitted information.

Section 552.136 of the Government Code provides that "[n]otwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a credit card, debit card, charge card, or access device number that is collected, assembled, or maintained by or for a governmental body is confidential." Gov't Code § 552.136. An access device number is one that may be used to (1) obtain money, goods, services, or another thing of value, or (2) initiate a transfer of funds other than a transfer originated solely by paper instrument, and includes an account number. Id. § 552.136(a). Accordingly, the city must withhold the customer utility account number you have marked under section 552.136 of the Government Code. As no further exceptions to disclosure are raised, the remaining information must be released to the requestor.

This letter ruling is limited to the particular information 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 information or any other circumstances.

This ruling triggers important deadlines regarding the rights and responsibilities of the governmental body and of the requestor. For more information concerning those rights and responsibilities, please visit our website at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/open/index_orl.php, or call the Office of the Attorney General's Open Government Hotline, toll free, at (877) 673-6839. Questions concerning the allowable charges for providing public information under the Act must be directed to the Cost Rules Administrator of the Office of the Attorney General, toll free, at (888) 672-6787.

Sincerely,

Sarah Casterline

Assistant Attorney General

Open Records Division

SEC/eeg

Ref: ID# 404948

Enc. Submitted documents

c: Requestor

(w/o enclosures)

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