ATTORNEY GENERAL
Under provisions set out in the Texas Constitution, the Texas Government Code, 
Title 4,  402.042 and numerous statutes, the attorney general is authorized to 
write advisory opinions for state and local officials. These advisory opinions 
are requested by agencies or officials when they are confronted with unique or 
unusually difficult legal questions. The attorney general also determines, under 
authority of the Texas Open Records Act, whether information requested for 
release from governmental agencies may be held from public disclosure. Requests 
for opinions, opinions, and open record decisions are summarized for publication 
in the Texas Register. The Attorney General responds to many requests for 
opinions and open records decisions with letter opinions. A letter opinion has 
the same force and effect as a formal Attorney General Opinion, and represents 
the opinion of the Attorney General unless and until it is modified or overruled 
by a subsequent letter opinion, a formal Attorney General Opinion, or a decision 
of a court of record. To request copies of opinions, phone (512) 462-0011. To 
inquire about pending requests for opinions, phone (512) 463-2110.

Letter Opinion

LO-#97-045. Request from Mr. John P.
 Maline, Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy 
Examiners,
 333 Guadalupe, Suite 2-510, Austin, Texas 78701-3942, regarding Per diem
 compensation and reimbursement of travel expenses for members of the Executive
 Council of the Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners, Texas
 Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners and the Texas Board of Physical Therapy
 Examiners (ID# 38787).


SUMMARY. Members appointed to the Executive
 Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners by the Texas
 Board of Physical Therapy Examiners and the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy
 Examiners are authorized to receive compensatory per diem as a Physical Therapy
 Examiner Board or Occupational Therapy Board member for attending council
 meetings. Members of the council, other than the presiding officer, are not
 entitled to receive compensatory per diem as a council member and are entitled
 to receive reimbursement only for transportation expenses. Members of the
 Board of Physical Therapy Examiners and the Board of Occupational Therapy
 Examiners are entitled to receive reimbursement only for transportation 
expenses.

TRD-9705993



Open Records Decision

ORD-#654. Request from the Honorable
 Kenny Marchant, Texas House of Representatives, Room GS.6, P.O. Box 2910,
 Austin, Texas 78768-2910, regrading whether a request for public information
 made to a governmental body through a computerized bulletin board system
 is a "written request for information" for purposes of chapter 552 of the
 Government Code and related questions (ORQ-10).


SUMMARY. The legislature could have chosen
 to define a "written request" to include requests made via electronic mail,
 given that the definition of "public information" includes information held
 in computer memory. However, absent such legislative action, a governmental
 body is not required to respond to a request for information sent to a 
governmental
 body's electronic bulletin board system or otherwise sent by electronic mail
 to an official or employee of a governmental body. The governmental body
 should advise the requestor to submit a written request for the information.

TRD-9706030