TPFA Accessibility Policy

We are committed to making the Texas Public Finance Authority Web sites accessible to all users. We create our sites and pages using principles of accessibility and usability design. We carefully inspect our pages and test them with appropriate software tools. We welcome comments on how to improve our pages for users with disabilities.

If you use assistive technology and the format of any material on our Web sites interfere with your ability to access the information, please send email to: administrators@tpfa.texas.gov. Please indicate the nature of your accessibility problem, the format in which you would like to receive the material, the Web address of the requested material, and your contact information.

Please contact one of our Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinators for any non-Web related assistance:

Phone: 512-463-5544
Email: tpfagc@tpfa.texas.gov

If you need to contact us via TDD equipment, please visit Relay Texas for assistance.

Additional information about accessibility programs in Texas is available from the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities.

TPFA Privacy & Security Policy

The Texas Public Finance Authority (the "Authority") maintains this Web site as a public service. The following is the privacy policy for this site. Please note that all information collected or maintained by the Authority is subject to the provisions of the Texas Public Information Act, Chapter 552, Texas Government Code.

Information Collected

Server Logs/Log Analysis Tools
The Authority uses server logs and log analysis tools to create summary statistics about the use of this Web site. The following information is an example of the type of information that may be collected for this analysis:

User/client hostname - The hostname (or IP address, if DNS is disabled) of the user/client requesting access.
HTTP header, "user-agent" - The user-agent information includes the type of browser used, the browser version, and the operating system it is running on.
HTTP header, "referer" - The referer specifies the page from which the user/client accessed the current page.
System date - The date and time of the user/client request.
Full request - The exact request the user/client made.
Status - The status code the server returned to the user/client.
Content length - The content length, in bytes, of the document sent to the user/client.
Method - The request method used.
Universal Resource Identifier (URI) - The location of a resource on the server.
Query string of the URI - Anything after the question mark in a URI.
Protocol - The transport protocol and version used.

For site management functions, information is collected for analysis and statistical purposes. This information is not reported or used in any manner that would reveal personally identifiable information, and will not be released to any outside parties unless required to do so under applicable law.

For site security purposes and to ensure that the site remains available to all users, the Authority uses software to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used for no other purposes. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this site are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Texas Penal Code Chapters 33 (Computer Crimes) or 33A (Telecommunications Crimes).

Cookies
The Authority does not use cookies to collect information.

E-mail
If you send the Authority an electronic mail message with a question or comment that contains personally identifying information, or fill out a form that e-mails the Authority this information please note that all information collected, assembled, or maintained by the Authority or in connection with the transaction of official business is "public information" subject to the Texas Public Information Act, Government Code chapter 552. Information is presumed public unless expressly exempted from disclosure by statute or judicial decision. (See our Open Records Policy.) In addition, the Authority may redirect your message to another government agency or person who is in a better position to answer your question.

Web-based forms
The Authority may use Web-based forms for collecting survey results, for registration for training events, or in the administration of laws under the Authority's jurisdiction. Personally identifiable information collected from these forms is subject to the Texas Public Information Act, Government Code chapter 552.

Click here for the PDF version of the Public Information Act.

TPFA Link Policy

The Texas Public Finance Authority's (Authority) policy on establishing links from the Authority's Web site to other Web sites is guided by the business needs of the agency and whether there is a public purpose for establishing the link. Links are provided as a public service and for informational purposes only. Links are provided only when the external server provides information that is useful to the public, our constituents or our employees and relate to the agency's programs, activities or functions. The Authority does not enter into reciprocal linking agreements. The following are the Authority's guidelines for establishing external Web links:

• Political Web sites. Links to political Web sites are not allowed.
• Public Web sites. Links to public Web sites and other state agency or federal government and public education sites are allowed.
• Private Web sites. Links to private commercial and noncommercial Web sites will only be allowed if there is a public purpose for establishing the link, and the link is approved by Management.
• Considerations in determining whether to link to a Private Web site. Where there is a legitimate business need (public purpose) to establish a link from an agency Web page to a private Web site, the proposed link will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If there is a public purpose for including such links (e.g. to facilitate the Authority fulfilling a specific statutory duty or to provide information related to the agency's programs, activities, or functions), then the link may be allowed, subject to approval by Management.  Links to any website that contains offensive or inappropriate material, as determined in the sole judgment and discretion of the Authority's management, will not be allowed.

We will remove or disallow links to external servers if we become aware that they are not managed in a professional manner, not operational and available most of the time, not kept up-to-date, provide inaccurate information or contain unlawful or inappropriate content. We will also remove a link if the owner of the Web site objects to such link. The Authority also follows the State Web Site Link and Privacy Policy that is posted on the Department of Information Resources (DIR) Web site at https://dir.texas.gov/View-About-DIR/Pages/Content.aspx?id=21.

Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability Any Web links provided through this server are included merely for the convenience of agency staff and the public as potential sources of information and/or to facilitate research that advances public purposes. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of other such Web sites. Users of the Web site are responsible for checking the accuracy, completeness, currency and/or suitability of all information themselves. Any Web links available through this server do not constitute or imply an endorsement by the Authority of any product, process, or service listed in those Web sites or the producer or provider of those products or services. The Authority makes no effort to independently verify, and does not exert editorial control over, information on pages outside of the Authority's Web sites. The views and opinions expressed in any referenced document or any Web site linked to this server do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Authority. Neither the Authority, nor its Board of Directors, nor any of its employees, makes any warranties, express or implied, concerning the information, services, or software found on this site or other sites to which it links. The Authority and its employees, expressly disclaim all implied warranties of merchantability and of fitness for a particular purpose. You expressly agree that your use of this site is at your own risk. The Authority, its Board of Directors and its employees do not warrant that this website, its services, its servers, or email sent from it are free of viruses or other harmful components. Under no circumstances shall the Authority, its Board of Directors or its employees be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages that result in any way from your use of this site, or sites to which it links, or from reliance on or use of information, services, software, or merchandise provided on or through this site, or that result from deletion of files, delays in operation or transmission of data, or any failure of performance of the site.

Public Information Act

Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, gives you the right to access government records. An officer for public information and the officer’s agent may not ask why you want them. All government information is presumed to be available to the public. Certain exceptions may apply to the disclosure of the information. Governmental bodies shall promptly release requested information that is not confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision, or information for which an exception to disclosure has not been sought.

Rights of Requestors
You have the right to:

• Prompt access to information that is not confidential or otherwise protected;
• Receive treatment equal to all other requestors, including accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements;
• Receive certain kinds of information without exceptions, like the voting record of public officials, and other information;
• Receive a written statement of estimated charges, when charges will exceed $40, in advance of work being started and opportunity to modify the request in response to the itemized statement;
• Choose whether to inspect the requested information (most often at no charge), receive copies of the information or both;
• A waiver or reduction of charges if the governmental body determines that access to the information primarily benefits the general public;
• Receive a copy of the communication from the governmental body asking the Office of the Attorney General for a ruling on whether the information can be withheld under one of the accepted exceptions, or if the communication discloses the requested information, a redacted copy;
• Lodge a written complaint about overcharges for public information with the Office of the Attorney General. Complaints of other possible violations may be filed with the county or district attorney of the county where the governmental body, other than a state agency, is located. If the complaint is against the county or district attorney, the complaint must be filed with the Office of the Attorney General.

Responsibilities of Governmental Bodies

All governmental bodies responding to information requests have the responsibility to:

• Establish reasonable procedures for inspecting or copying public information and inform requestors of these procedures;
• Treat all requestors uniformly and give the requestor all reasonable comfort and facility, including accommodation in accordance with ADA requirements;
• Be informed about open records laws and educate employees on the requirements of those laws;
• Inform requestors of the estimated charges greater than $40 and any changes in the estimates above 20 percent of the original estimate, and confirm that the requestor accepts the charges, or has amended the request, or has sent a complaint of overcharges to the Office of the Attorney General, in writing before finalizing the request;
• Inform the requestor if the information cannot be provided promptly and set a date and time to provide it within a reasonable time;
• Request a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General regarding any information the governmental body wishes to withhold, and send a copy of the request for ruling, or a redacted copy, to the requestor;
• Segregate public information from information that may be withheld and provide that public information promptly;
• Make a good faith attempt to inform third parties when their proprietary information is being requested from the governmental body;
• Respond in writing to all written communications from the Office of the Attorney General regarding charges for the information. Respond to the Office of the Attorney General regarding complaints about violations of the Act.

Procedures to Obtain Information

• Submit a request by mail, fax, email or in person according to a governmental body's reasonable procedures.
• Include enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the governmental body to accurately identify and locate the information requested.
• Cooperate with the governmental body's reasonable efforts to clarify the type or amount of information requested.

To request information from this governmental body:

You may send your request
By mail to: TEXAS PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY, P.O. Box 12906, Austin, TX 78711
By e-mail to: TPFA-PIR@tpfa.texas.gov
By fax to: (512) 463-5501
In person at: 300 W. 15^th Street, Suite 411, Austin, TX 78701

For complaints regarding failure to release public information please contact your local County or District Attorney.

• You may also contact the Office of the Attorney General, Open Records Hotline, at 512-478-6736 or toll-free at 1-877-673-6839.
• For complaints regarding overcharges, please contact the Office of the Attorney General’s Cost Rules Administrator at 512-475-2497.

If you need special accommodation pursuant to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), please call (512) 463-5544.