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ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
GREG ABBOTT
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March 24, 2011

Ms. Susan Denmon Banowsky

Vinson & Elkins

2801 Via Fortuna, Suite 100

Austin, Texas 78746-7568

OR2011-04061

Dear Ms. Banowsky:

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# 412430.

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association ("TWIA") and the Texas FAIR Plan Association ("TFPA") (1) received a request for information relating to payments made to insurance agents or other individuals or entities that would trigger the need for an IRS 1099 form. (2) You indicate some of the requested information has been released. You believe the other responsive information may implicate the interests of third parties. You state the third parties concerned were notified of this request for information and of their right to submit arguments to this office as to why the requested information should not be released. (3) We received correspondence from the parties and representatives of parties listed below. (4) We have considered the third parties' comments and reviewed the representative sample of information you submitted. (5)

Section 552.101 of the Government Code excepts from disclosure "information considered to be confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision." (6) Gov't Code § 552.101. This exception encompasses information other statutes make confidential. Section 6103(a) of title 26 of the United States Code provides in part:

(a) General rule.--Returns and return information shall be confidential, and except as authorized by this title--

. . .

(2) no officer or employee of any State[]; and

(3) no other person (or officer or employee thereof) who has or had access to returns or return information . . .

shall disclose any return or return information obtained by him in any manner in connection with his service as such an officer or an employee or otherwise or under the provisions of this section.[]

26 U.S.C. § 6103(a). Prior decisions of this office have held section 6103(a) of title 26 of the United States Code renders tax return information confidential. See Attorney General Opinion H-1274 (1978) (tax returns); Open Records Decision Nos. 600 (1992) (W-4 forms), 226 (1979) (W-2 forms). Federal courts have construed the term "return information" expansively to include any information gathered by the Internal Revenue Service regarding a taxpayer's liability under title 26 of the United States Code. See Mallas v. Kolak, 721 F. Supp. 748, 754 (M.D.N.C. 1989), aff'd in part, 993 F.2d 1111 (4th Cir. 1993). Section 6103(b) defines "return information" as meaning "a taxpayer's identity, the nature, source, or amount of his income, payments, receipts, deductions, exemptions, credits, assets, liabilities, net worth, tax liability, tax withheld, deficiencies, overassessments, or tax payments . . . or any other data, received by, recorded by, prepared by, furnished to, or collected by the Secretary [of the Treasury] with respect to a return or . . . the determination of the existence, or possible existence, of liability . . . for any tax, penalty, interest . . . or offense[.]" 26 U.S.C. § 6103(b)(2)(A).

In response to questions submitted to TWIA and TFPA under section 552.303 of the Government Code, you inform us the submitted information was assembled and maintained for the purpose of preparing and sending IRS 1099 forms and has been included in 1099 forms sent on behalf of TWIA and TFPA. (7) You also state the submitted information either has been or will be furnished to the Internal Revenue Service by the end of April 2011. Based on your representations, we find the submitted information constitutes return information made confidential by section 6103(a) of title 26 of the United States Code. We therefore conclude TWIA and TFPA must withhold the submitted information in its entirety on that basis under section 552.101 of the Government Code. (8) We note, however, that in this case, the wording of the request for information necessarily implicates federal tax provisions. Information concerning payments made by TWIA and TFPA may not, under other circumstances, be confidential under federal law.

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,

James W. Morris, III

Assistant Attorney General

Open Records Division

JWM/em

Ref: ID# 412430

Enc: Submitted documents

c: Requestor

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Jess W. Akin III

Jess W. Akin Insurance Agency

P.O. Box 1220

Cypress, Texas 77410-1220

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Nazilia A. Aliyeva

Naza Aliyeva Agency

104 Industrial Boulevard, Suite H

Sugar Land, Texas 77478

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Phil Guidry

Allstar Insurance Agency, Inc.

P.O. Box 1846

Nederland, Texas 77627

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. James D. Aleman

Allstate Insurance Company

4002 Saratoga Boulevard, Suite 100

Corpus Christi, Texas 78413

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Timothy E. Bates

Allstate Insurance Company

8031 FM 1960 East

Humble, Texas 77346

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Lisa Bazzy-Zeringue

Allstate Insurance Company

17131 Townes Road

Friendswood, Texas 77546

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Todd Bellview

Allstate Insurance Company

9330 Broadway Suite 300

Pearland, Texas 77584

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Mario Orlando Garcia

Allstate Insurance Company

1322 East Harrison Avenue Suite A

Harlingen, Texas 78550

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Roland D. Grote

Allstate Insurance Company

4702 North Laurent Suite A

Victoria, Texas 77904

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Michael Gutierrez

Allstate Insurance Company

9555 West Sam Houston Parkway South Suite 205

Houston, Texas 77099

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Dwayne Hargis

Allstate Insurance Company

5794 Weber Road

Corpus Christi, Texas 78413

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Al Hicks

Allstate Insurance Company

1560 West Bay Area Boulevard, Suite 120

Friendswood, Texas 77546

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Fabiola Llaguno

Allstate Insurance Company

11200 Westheimer Road Suite 602

Houston, Texas 77042-3229

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. James E. Keener

Allstate Insurance Company

1501 East Mockingbird Lane, Suite 103

Victoria, Texas 77904

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Rick Luckett

Allstate Insurance Company

5444 Fry Road Suite B

Katy, Texas 77449

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Billy W. Lyons

Allstate Insurance Company

33418 Egypt Lane Suite D

Magnolia, Texas 77354

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Phillip Mayeux

Allstate Insurance Company

1550 Cornerstone Court

Beaumont, Texas 77706

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Vicki Melass

Allstate Insurance Company

302 Plantation Drive

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Mario N. Ramirez

Allstate Insurance Company

P.O. Box 262607

Houston, Texas 77207

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Mike Roby

Allstate Insurance Company

7620 Eastex Freeway

Beaumont, Texas 77708

(w/o enclosures) Mr. John Szabo

Allstate Insurance Company

808 Travis Street, Suite 1005

Houston, Texas 77002

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Rene V. Toman

Allstate Insurance Company

501 Gulf Freeway, Suite 106

League City, Texas 77573

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Thi Van Nguyen

Allstate Insurance Company

11110 Bellaire Boulevard Suite 105

Houston, Texas 77072

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Brent C. Walters

Allstate Insurance Company

5090 Eastex Freeway

Beaumont, Texas 77708-5428

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Jarrod Walton

Allstate Insurance Company

1475 South Pine

Kountze, Texas 77625

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Don Wilde

Allstate Insurance Company

9817 Bissonnet Street Suite K

Houston, Texas 77036

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Gary M. Norris

Alpha Omega Insurance Group, LP

11330 West Road

Houston, Texas 77065

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Sarah Blackburn

Almanza, Blackburn & Dickie LLP

2301 South Capital of Texas Highway Building H

Austin, Texas 78746

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Frank Atchison

Frank T. Atchison Agency

15156 Highway 3

Webster, Texas 77598

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Ralph Nannola

American Casualty Insurance Agency

11442 North IH-35

Austin, Texas 78753

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Brian A. Besch

Besch Insurance Group

3103 Bee Cave Road Suite 104

Austin, Texas 78746

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Freddy Calidonio

Better Way Insurance Agency Corporation

3880 Gulfway Drive

Port Arthur, Texas 77642

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Allen G. Borden

Borden Insurance

P.O. Box 1066

Corpus Christi, Texas 78403-1066

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Jeffrey L. Brady

Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates

10055 West Gulf Bank

Houston, Texas 77040

(w/o enclosures) A. Burr Insurance

475 South Gordon Street, Suite B

Alvin, Texas 77512-2226

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Jeffrey M. Klein

Branch Banking & Trust Co.

5925 Carnegie Boulevard

MC: 511-02-04-15

Charlotte, North Carolina 28209

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Mark A. Hansen

Cane Island Insurance Agency, Inc.

2944 South Mason Road, Suite J

Katy, Texas 77450

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. John Vaughn

Braud, Vaughn & Williamson Insurance Agency, LLC

P.O. Box 5389

Beaumont, Texas 77726

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Shirley H. Colyer

Castle Insurance Agency

1011 NW Loop 410

San Antonio, Texas 78213-2223

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Marc A. Cisneros Jr.

CS Innovative Insurance Solutions, LC

9842 Lorene Lane

San Antonio, Texas 78216

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Charles K. Castleberry

Castleberry Insurance Agency

201-A That Way

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Terry J. Cauthen

Terry Cauthen Insurance

8700 9th Avenue Suite 102

Port Arthur, Texas 77642

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Damon J. Chargois

Chargois & Herron, L.L.P.

2201 Timberloch Place, Suite 110

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Scott Chauvin

Chauvin Agency LLC

1350 Nasa Parkway, Suite 104

Houston, Texas 77058

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Dianna Matthews

Coastal Bend Insurance Agency Inc.

15122 Northwest Boulevard Suite 6

Corpus Christi, Texas 78410

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Marshall Schaake

Comaltex Insurance Agency, Inc.

457-F Landa Street

New Braunfels, Texas 78130

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Frank H. Comiskey

Frank Comiskey Agency, Inc.

P.O. Box 570187

Houston, Texas 77257-0187

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Frank W. Taylor

Craig Insurance Agency

P.O. Box 890066

Houston, Texas 77289-0066

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Linda Darnell

Linda Darnell Insurance Agency

7930 Broadway Street Suite 104

Pearland, Texas 77581

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Joshua D. Crow

Joshua D. Crow Agency

2820 South Padre Island Drive Suite 207

Corpus Christi, Texas 78415

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Herman E. Davis

The Davis Agency

16126 Southwest Freeway

Sugar Land, Texas 77479

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. R. F. Dean

Dean & Draper Insurance Agency L.P.

3131 West Alabama 4th Floor

Houston, Texas 77098

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Bob Dillman

Dillman Agency Inc.

1111 FM 1462

Alvin, Texas 77511

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Elmer B. DeForest

Elmer B. DeForest Insurance Agency

P.O. Box 610

Seadrift, Texas 77983

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Richard L. Kerzee

Duckett, Bouligny & Collins, L.L.P.

P.O. Box 1567

El Campo, Texas 77437

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Ben A. Donnell

Donnell, Abernethy & Kieschnick

P.O. Box 2624

Corpus Christi, Texas 78403-2624

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Steven L. Elbert

Elbert Insurance Agency

P.O. Box 4009

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Ed Davault

FD&S Insurance Agency, Inc.

1001 E.S.E. Loop 323, Suite 350

Tyler, Texas 75701-9664

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Garry P. Kaufman

Galveston Insurance Associates

6025 Heards Lane

Galveston, Texas 77551

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Mickie A. Comiskey

Focus Financial and Insurance Services

P.O. Box 571388

Houston, Texas 77257-1388

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Edward Garcia

Edward Garcia Insurance Agency

P.O. Box 541416

Houston, Texas 77254

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Steven P. Griffin

Steve Griffin Allstate Agency

9770 West Little York Road, Suite B

Houston, Texas 77040

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Sandy Garza

Sandy Garza & Associates, Inc.

212 West Campbell Road

Richardson, Texas 75080

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Todd Hall

William Todd Hall Insurance

11520 North Central Expressway

Suite 120

Dallas, Texas 75243-6649

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Jean L. Gustavsen

Jean L. Gustavsen Agency

1024 North Velasco

Angleton, Texas 77515

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Dana Finn

Carroll R. Hand Insurance

411 Miller Street Lock Dr. 1000

Anahuac, Texas 77514

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Larry Hallam

Larry Hallam Allstate

64 Highway 75 North

Huntsville, Texas 77340

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Willis J. Hargrave III

HARCO Insurance Services

10777 Northwest Freeway Suite 800

Houston, Texas 77092-7339

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Brian P. Heffernan

Heffernan Insurance Agency, Inc.

P.O. Box 1360

Galveston, Texas 77553

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Randall L. Harred

Randall L. Harred Insurance Agency

P.O. Box 96

Pleasanton, Texas 78064

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Ronald J. Hettler

Hettler Insurance Agency

4906 Lakeridge Drive #1

Lubbock, Texas 79424

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Don Hudgins

HEInsurance Agency.com

10130 FM 1097 Road West Suite B

Willis, Texas 77318

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Gary Howell

Hibbs Hallmark and Company

P.O. Box 8357

Tyler, Texas 75711

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Chris Rooker

Higginbotham Insurance Agency, Inc.

500 West 13th Street

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Donna M. Hilsher

Attorney at Law

3418 Evergreen Glade

Kingwood, Texas 77339

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Jerry L. Holt

Jerry Holt Insurance Agency

2640 Broadway, Suite 112

Pearland, Texas 77581

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Cecil Joiner

Insurance Associates of Texas

P.O. Box 2565

Conroe, Texas 77305

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Paul O'Toole

Insurance Offices - Texas

711 Bammel Road

Houston, Texas 77073

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Don Rhew

Insurance Services

1500 Wildcat Drive, Suite O

Portland, Texas 78374

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. James M. Sullivan

JMS Insurance Agency, LLC

10701 Corporate Drive Suite 103

Stafford, Texas 77477

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Donna Jackson

Jackson Insurance

113 North Parking Place

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. David Kimbrough

David Kimbrough Insurance Agency

317 South Friendswood Drive

Friendswood, Texas 77546

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Tara LaGoy

Tara LaGoy Insurance Agency

22534 Aldine Westfield

Spring, Texas 77373

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Norm Laman

Laman Insurance Agency LLC

711 West Bay Area Boulevard, Suite 212

Webster, Texas 77598

(w/o enclosures) Lee Insurance Agency, Inc.

8727 FM 1960 East

Humble, Texas 77346

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. John A. LeBlanc

LeBlanc Insurance Agency

11711 Shadow Creek Parkway, Suite 125

Pearland, Texas 77584

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Ronnie Locke

P.O. Box 4010

Liberty, Texas 77575

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Lorraine J. Feldman

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.

1166 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Brian P. Lotzenhiser

120 Circle Way Street Suite 1C

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Michael O Martin

Michael O Martin Insurance Agency

409 This Way

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Nicholas J. Lanza

McCormick, McNeel, Edler, Williams & Lanza, L.L.P.

5909 West Loop South, Suite 550

Bellaire, Texas 77401

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Andrew P. McCormick

McCormick, McNeel, Edler, Williams & Lanza, L.L.P.

5909 West Loop South, Suite 550

Bellaire, Texas 77401

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Jim McNeill

McNeill Insurance Agency Inc.

P.O. Box 1303

Nederland, Texas 77627

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Michael C. Hoad

McQueary Henry Bowles & Troy, LLP

8144 Walnut Hill Lane, 16th Floor

Dallas, Texas 75231

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Terry Morgan

Morgan Insurance Agency, LTD

3708 South Medford

Lufkin, Texas 75901

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Billy J. Muench

Bill Muench Insurance Agency, Inc.

1315 Sam Bass Circle Suite B-2

Round Rock, Texas 78681

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Vi Holliday

Nash Insurance Agency

4700 Highway 365, Suite B

Port Arthur, Texas 77642

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Charlotte Nugent

Charlotte Nugent Agency

1018 North Velasco

Angleton, Texas 77515

(w/o enclosures) Mr. David O'Donohoe

The O'Donohoe Agency LLC

5928 Stewart Road

Galveston, Texas 77551

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Landra K. Olsen

Landra K. Olsen Agency

314 East Brazos Avenue

West Columbia, Texas 77486

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Sal Ortiz

Ortiz Insurance Agency

1434 FM 1960 Road West, Suite D

Houston, Texas 77090

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Arden Hetland

Panoptic Insurance

24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 900

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

(w/o enclosures) Mr. John K. Parker

Parker Insurance Agency

2035 FM 359 Suite F

Richmond, Texas 77469

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Scott B. West

Pathfinder/LL&D Insurance Group, LLC

1160 Dairy Ashford Suite 220

Houston, Texas 77079

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Paul Pritchard

Frank Pritchard Agency

6640 9th Avenue

Port Arthur, Texas 77642

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. James A. Kuhnell

Prestige Partners Insurance Agency

555 Republic Drive Suite 200

Plano, Texas 75074

(w/o enclosures) Mr. John R. Ray Jr.

John R. Ray & Sons, Inc.

P.O. Box 421329

Houston, Texas 77242-1329

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. James E. King

Ramey & King Insurance Associates Inc.

510 North I-35E

Denton, Texas 76205

(w/o enclosures) Mr. David W. Reed

Reed & Associates Agency

21354 Provincial Boulevard

Katy, Texas 77450

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. William M. Robinson

Robinson Insurance Agency

1100 Gulf Freeway South, Suite 112

League City, Texas 77573

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Stuart N. Salter

Julian Salter Company

3230 Central Mall Drive

Port Arthur, Texas 77642

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Gloria Sanchez

Gloria Sanchez Insurance

664 West Brazos Avenue

West Columbia, Texas 77486

(w/o enclosures) Mr. John W. Scott

John W. Scott Insurance Agency

P.O. Box 40984

Houston, Texas 77240

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Gary D. Sawyer

c/o Ms. Susan Denmon Banowsky

Vinson & Elkins

2801 Via Fortuna Suite 100

Austin, Texas 78746-7568

(w/o enclosures) Mr. J. Shaw

Shaw Insurance

P.O. Box 151526

Lufkin, Texas 75915-1526

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Michael S. Sawyer

Sawyer Insurance Agency

1000 East Campbell Road, Suite 120

Richardson, Texas 75081-1855

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Tana Maddox

Shreves Insurance Agency

103 Dixie Drive

Clute, Texas 77531

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Craig Slater

Slater Insurance Agency

3718 East Broadway

Pearland, Texas 77581

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Ray H. Slaughter

P.O. Box 630942

Houston, Texas 77263-0942

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. David R. Smith

Smith-Reagan Insurance Agency

148 North Sam Houston Boulevard

San Benito, Texas 78586

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Momon L. King

State Farm Insurance

1833 South Carrier Parkway

Grand Prairie, Texas 75051-3702

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. R. M. Lee

Swantner & Gordon Insurance

P.O. Box 870

Corpus Christi, Texas 78403-0870

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Denise Davis

TWFG Insurance Services

722 West Main Street

Tomball, Texas 77375

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Richard F. Bunch III

TWFG Insurance Services

1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, Suite 4020

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Ted Moor III

Talon Insurance Agency, Ltd.

P.O. Box 1609

Nederland, Texas 77627

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. George Taylor

F.B. Taylor Insurance & Real Estate

P.O. Box 1346

Nederland, Texas 77627

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Frank Toman

The Frank Toman Insurance Agency

1020 Bay Area Boulevard Suite 108

Houston, Texas 77058

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Michael J. Tarlton

Texas Affordable Insurance Agencies

369 El Dorado Boulevard

Webster, Texas 77598

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Glenn Tomblin

Glenn Tomblin Insurance Agency

7097 Highway 6 North

Houston, Texas 77095

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Aaron M. Wilkerson

Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies

P.O. Box 2689

Waco, Texas 76702-2689

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Joe Vallot

Joe Vallot Insurance Agency

845 Monterrey Drive

Beaumont, Texas 77706

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Horace James Thibodeaux

H. James Thibodeaux Insurance

800 West Sam Houston South Suite 130

Houston, Texas 77042

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Blasa Vela

Vela & Vela Agencies, Inc.

400 East House Street

Alvin, Texas 77511

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Juan Valdivieso

Valdivieso Insurance & Financial Services

9801 Westheimer Road Suite 208

Houston, Texas 77042

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Brandon Walters

Walters Insurance Agency

10252 East Northwest Highway

Dallas, Texas 75238

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Kim Trammel

Trammel Insurance Agency

3003 East League City Parkway Suite B

League City, Texas 77573

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Annette Sceets

Walzel Insurance Agency, Inc.

606 Rollingbrook Suite 1F

Baytown, Texas 77521

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Robert M. Greco

Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc.

150 North Michigan Avenue # 3900

Chicago, Illinois 60601

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Charles Norman Way

Way Insurance Agency

1107 North Brazosport Boulevard

Freeport, Texas 77541

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Randolph K. Whittington

Attorney at Law

2014 East Harrison Avenue

Harlingen, Texas 78550

(w/o enclosures) Ms. Laura L. Wilson

Western Insurance Agency, Inc.

P.O. Box 58648

Houston, Texas 77258-8648

(w/o enclosures)

Mr. Stewart M. Chisum

R.O. Williams & Co., Inc.

P.O. Box 5787

Beaumont, Texas 77726-5787

(w/o enclosures) Mr. Trenton D. Walsh

Willis North America, Inc.

920 Memorial City Way Suite 500

Houston, Texas 77024

(w/o enclosures)

Ms. Lilla K. Wright

Lilla Wright Agency

12288 Westheimer Road Suite 350

Houston, Texas 77077

(w/o enclosures)


Footnotes

1. We note TFPA is established under chapter 2211 of the Insurance Code. See Ins. Code § 2211.001 et seq.

2. You inform us the requestor clarified his request. See Gov't Code § 552.222(b) (governmental body may communicate with requestor for purpose of clarifying or narrowing request for information).

3. See Gov't Code § 552.305(d); Open Records Decision No. 542 (1990) (statutory predecessor to Gov't Code § 552.305 permitted governmental body to rely on interested third party to raise and explain applicability of exception to disclosure under certain circumstances).

4. Jess W. Akin Insurance Agency; Naza Aliyeva Agency; Allstar Insurance Agency, Inc.; James D. Aleman; Timothy E. Bates; Lisa Bazzy-Zeringue; Todd Bellview; Mario O. Garcia; Roland D. Grote; Michael Gutierrez; Dwayne Hargis; Al Hicks; James E. Keener; Fabiola Llaguno; Rick Luckett; Billy W. Lyons; Phillip Mayeux; Vicki Melass; Mario N. Ramirez; Mike Roby; John Szabo; Rene V. Toman; Thi Van Nguyen; Brent C. Walters; Jarrod Walton; Don Wilde; Almanza, Blackburn & Dickie LLP (for AMM Insurance Agency, Inc.); Alpha Omega Insurance Group, LP; American Casualty Insurance Agency; Frank T. Atchison Agency; Besch Insurance Group; Better Way Insurance Agency Corporation; Borden Insurance; Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates, Inc.; Branch Banking & Trust Co.; Braud, Vaughn & Williamson Insurance Agency, LLC; A. Burr Insurance; CS Innovative Insurance Solutions, LC; Cane Island Insurance Agency, Inc.; Castle Insurance Agency; Castleberry Insurance Agency; Terry Cauthen Insurance; Chargois & Herron, L.L.P.(for Barhorst Insurance Group, LTD); Chauvin Agency LLC; Coastal Bend Insurance Agency Inc.; Comaltex Insurance Agency, Inc.; Frank Comiskey Agency, Inc.; Craig Insurance Agency; Joshua D. Crow Agency; Linda Darnell Insurance Agency; The Davis Agency; Dean & Draper Insurance Agency L.P.; Elmer B. DeForest Insurance Agency; Dillman Agency Inc.; Donnell, Abernethy & Kieschnick (for Glass, Sorenson & McDavid, Inc., dba GSM Insurors); Duckett, Bouligny & Collins, L.L.P. (for Maurice Kerzee); Elbert Insurance Agency; FD&S Insurance Agency, Inc.; Focus Financial and Insurance Services; Galveston Insurance Associates; Edward Garcia Insurance Agency; Sandy Garza & Associates, Inc.; Steve Griffin Allstate Agency; Jean L. Gustavsen Agency; William Todd Hall Insurance; Larry Hallam Allstate; Carroll R. Hand Insurance; HARCO Insurance Services; Randall L. Harred Insurance Agency; Heffernan Insurance Agency, Inc.; HEInsurance Agency.com; Hettler Insurance Agency; Hibbs Hallmark and Company; Higginbotham Insurance Agency, Inc.; Donna M. Hilsher (for Dr. William Janik); Jerry Holt Insurance Agency; Insurance Associates of Texas; Insurance Offices - Texas; Insurance Services; JMS Insurance Agency, LLC; Jackson Insurance; David Kimbrough Insurance Agency; Tara LaGoy Insurance Agency; Laman Insurance Agency LLC; LeBlanc Insurance Agency; Lee Insurance Agency, Inc.; Ronnie Locke; Brian P. Lotzenhiser; Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.(for Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. and Marsh Private Client Services); Michael O Martin Insurance Agency; McCormick, McNeel, Edler, Williams & Lanza, L.L.P.(for Frost Insurance Agency and Insurepointe of Texas, Inc.); McNeill Insurance Agency Inc.; McQueary Henry Bowles & Troy, LLP; Morgan Insurance Agency, LTD; Bill Muench Insurance Agency, Inc.; Nash Insurance Agency; Charlotte Nugent Agency; The O'Donohoe Agency LLC; Landra K. Olsen Agency; Ortiz Insurance Agency; Panoptic Insurance; Parker Insurance Agency; Pathfinder/LL&D Insurance Group, LLC; Prestige Partners Insurance Agency; Frank Pritchard Agency; Ramey & King Insurance Associates Inc.; John R. Ray & Sons, Inc.; Reed & Associates Agency; Robinson Insurance Agency; Julian Salter Company; Gloria Sanchez Insurance; Gary D. Sawyer; Sawyer Insurance Agency; John W. Scott Insurance Agency; Shaw Insurance; Shreves Insurance Agency; Slater Insurance Agency; Ray H. Slaughter; Smith-Reagan Insurance Agency; Momon L. King; Swantner & Gordon Insurance; TWFG Insurance Services (The Woodlands and Tomball); Talon Insurance Agency, Ltd.; F.B. Taylor Insurance & Real Estate; Texas Affordable Insurance Agencies, LLC; Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies; H. James Thibodeaux Insurance; Frank Toman Insurance Agency; Glenn Tomblin Insurance Agency; Trammel Insurance Agency; Valdivieso Insurance & Financial Services, Inc.; Joe Vallot Insurance Agency; Vela & Vela Agencies, Inc.; Walters Insurance Agency; Walzel Insurance Agency, Inc.; Way Insurance Agency; Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc.; Western Insurance Agency, Inc.; Randolph K. Whittington (for Cameron Investment Company, Inc., dba Shepard Walton King Insurance Group); R.O. Williams & Co., Inc.; Willis North America, Inc.; and Lilla Wright Agency.

5. This letter ruling assumes the submitted representative sample of information is truly representative of the requested information as a whole. This ruling neither reaches nor authorizes either TWIA or TFPA to withhold any information that is substantially different from the submitted information. See Gov't Code §§ 552.301(e)(1)(D), .302; Open Records Decision Nos. 499 at 6 (1988), 497 at 4 (1988).

6. This office will raise section 552.101 on behalf of a governmental body, as this section is a mandatory exception to disclosure. See Gov't Code §§ 552.007, .352; Open Records Decision No. 674 at 3 n.4 (2001) (mandatory exceptions).

7. See Gov't Code § 552.303(c)-(d) (if attorney general determines information in addition to that required by Gov't Code § 552.301 is necessary to render decision, written notice of that fact shall be given to governmental body and requestor, and governmental body shall submit necessary additional information to attorney general not later than seventh calendar day after date of receipt of notice).

8. As we are able to make this determination, we need not address the comments we received from the third parties.

 

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