Texas Agriculture Code 14.012 – Business Information
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), financial information of a warehouse operator provided to the department is confidential and not subject to public disclosure.
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), financial information of a warehouse operator provided to the department may be disclosed:
(1) without sealing in an administrative proceeding commenced by the department against the warehouse operator;
(2) to a local or state law enforcement officer, a county attorney, a district attorney, or the attorney general, acting either independently or on behalf of the department, investigating the warehouse operator;
(3) in a civil proceeding commenced by the warehouse operator against the department;
(4) in response to a subpoena from a party in a civil proceeding commenced against the warehouse operator;
(5) to the issuer of the warehouse operator’s bond or letter of credit;
(6) to the public after:
(A) revocation of the warehouse operator’s license;
(B) a voluntary closeout of all of the license holder’s facilities in this state;
(C) a petition for bankruptcy has been filed; or
(D) a receiver for the warehouse operator’s assets has been appointed; or
(7) to any federal agency or any agency of another state conducting a compliance inspection or criminal or civil investigation involving the handling, storing, shipping, selling, purchasing, or receipt of grain.
Terms Used In Texas Agriculture Code 14.012
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Department: means the Department of Agriculture. See Texas Agriculture Code 1.003
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
(c) In this section, “financial information” means:
(1) a financial statement or other document provided by the warehouse operator to the department to evaluate net worth requirements under § 14.031(e);
(2) a financial audit provided by the warehouse operator to the department; and
(3) if the warehouse operator is subject to an ongoing investigation by the department:
(A) the price of grain paid by the warehouse operator to a depositor or other seller of grain delivered to or stored or handled by the warehouse operator;
(B) the price of grain paid by or to the warehouse operator by a depositor or other purchaser of grain delivered to or stored or handled by the warehouse operator; and
(C) the terms of payment for a price described by Paragraph (A) or (B).
(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section:
(1) a party to a contract or other agreement with a warehouse operator may obtain a nonredacted copy of the contract or agreement; and
(2) a person who authored or contributed to the creation of financial information may be provided access to the financial information for the purpose of confirming the authenticity, truthfulness, or accuracy of the information.