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Bill

SB 438

Relating to the confidentiality of certain information for a current or former administrative law judge for the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Giovanni Capriglione and 2 co-sponsors

SB 438 shields personal identifying information of Texas administrative law judges from public disclosure to protect their safety and privacy while serving in sensitive judicial roles.

Placed on General State Calendar
#administrativehearings #stateofficeof(v0065) #courts--judges(i0140) #openrecords(i0548) #protectionofpersonalinformation(i0003)
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Bill Summary · SB 438

Legislative bill overview

SB 438 establishes confidentiality protections for personal information of current and former administrative law judges (ALJs) employed by Texas's State Office of Administrative Hearings. The bill restricts public access to certain identifying details about these judicial officers, likely including home addresses, phone numbers, and family information.

Why is this important

Administrative law judges handle sensitive cases involving disputes with state agencies, and increased security concerns have prompted similar confidentiality measures for judicial officers nationwide. Protecting ALJ privacy could reduce harassment or threats while maintaining public access to hearing records and decisions themselves.

Potential points of contention

  • Transparency vs. privacy trade-off: Restricting personal information about public officials limits citizens' ability to verify conflicts of interest or contact information for correspondence
  • Scope ambiguity: The bill's specific definition of "certain information" is not detailed in available summaries, creating uncertainty about what data is actually protected
  • Consistency questions: The protection's applicability to former judges and whether it covers digital records or only physical documents may create implementation challenges

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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