An order of nondisclosure is a court order prohibiting public entities, including courts, clerks of the court, law enforcement agencies, and prosecutorial offices, from disclosing certain criminal records.
The Texas Government Code, Section 411.077 (b), requires the Texas Department of Public Safety to report to the legislature no later than December 1st of each even numbered year that includes information on:
- The number of petitions for nondisclosures and orders of nondisclosures received by the department in each of the previous two years.
- The actions taken by the department with respect to the petitions and orders received.
- The costs incurred by the department in taking those actions.
- The number of persons who are the subject of an order of nondisclosure and who became the subject of criminal charges for an offense committed after the order was issued.