In an effort to protect sensitive customer information from predatory practices, the legislature passed H.B. 872 on June 18, 2021. H.B. 872 applies to information held by a municipally owned utility (MOU) that provides water, wastewater, sewer, gas, garbage, electricity, or drainage service.
Effective immediately, an MOU may not disclose customer information (including the customer’s address) under the Public Information Act (PIA) unless the customer elects to make the information public or certain exceptions apply. Also excluded from public disclosure is information: (1) that reveals whether an account is delinquent or eligible for disconnection; and (2) collected as part of an advanced metering system.
H.B. 872 essentially reverses the prior law’s requirements. Before H.B. 872, utility customers had to fill out a form to request their information remain confidential. Failure to do so made the customer’s information public. Now, a customer’s information is protected unless the customer opts to make it public.
MOU customers may elect to make their information public by submitting a letter or filling out the form below for disclosure of their personal information in response to Public Information Act requests.
