§ 6-85-217 - Information provided to the Bureau of Legislative Research by the Department of Higher Education. - Arkansas Statutes

6-85-217. Information provided to the Bureau of Legislative Research by the Department of Higher Education.

(a) (1) The Department of Higher Education shall provide to the Bureau of Legislative Research the following data when requested for the purpose of assisting the General Assembly with evaluation and analysis under this subchapter:

(A) Existing individual student data;

(B) Institutional data;

(C) Financial data;

(D) Aggregate student scholarship and grant application and award data; and

(E) Other data needed to track scholarship and grant students from year to year.

(b) (1) To maintain confidentiality of individual student records in accordance with the Family Educational Right to Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, the Department of Higher Education shall establish a system for removing or recoding any personally identifiable student data in student records that are used by the bureau for research and evaluation of scholarships and grants funded with net proceeds from the state lottery and those funded with nonlottery state educational resources.

(2) The bureau shall assist the Department of Higher Education by providing input concerning the development or modification of the system.

(3) (A) The Director of the Bureau of Legislative Research may seek an opinion from the Family Policy Compliance Office of the United States Department of Education concerning the Department of Higher Education's system, any proposed modification of the system, or any request for information made by the bureau under this section.

(B) The director may request the Department of Higher Education to seek the opinion on behalf of the bureau.

(c) The Department of Higher Education shall make its staff reasonably accessible for consultation with the bureau's staff in developing and responding appropriately to bureau requests under this section.

(d) (1) The Department of Higher Education shall provide data to the bureau in a database or spreadsheet format.

(2) The Department of Higher Education shall provide other information and records requested by the bureau as soon as possible and in whatever reasonable form requested.

(e) (1) The student data provided to the bureau under this section are not subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act of 1967, 25-19-101 et seq.

(2) The bureau shall not release any personally identifiable student data received under this section.

(f) The bureau's staff shall inform the Department of Higher Education of any data used in the preparation of reports and provide the Department of Higher Education at least two (2) working days to review any student-related data used in preparation of reports before publicly releasing that student-related data without personally identifiable student data.