Privacy Policy

About this policy

The Texas Bond Review Board (BRB) runs this website, brb.texas.gov, as a public service.

This policy describes BRB's privacy practices for information collected from visitors. It says what BRB collects and how BRB uses it.

All information BRB collects or keeps is subject to the Texas Public Information Act (Chapter 552, Texas Government Code).

If you have questions or comments about this policy, call BRB at (512) 463-1741.

Server logs and log analysis tools

BRB uses server logs and log analysis tools to create summary statistics about use of the website.

BRB uses the statistics to see what information interests users most, to set technical design specifications, and to find system performance problems.

BRB collects the items below for this analysis.

• User/client hostname: the hostname (or IP address, if DNS is disabled) of the user or client requesting access.
• HTTP header "user-agent": the browser type, the browser version and the operating system.
• HTTP header "referer": the page from which the user or client reached the current page.
• System date: the date and time of the request.
• Full request: the exact request the user or client made.
• Status: the status code the server returned.
• Content length: the length, in bytes, of the document sent.
• Method: the request method used.
• Universal Resource Identifier (URI): the location of a resource on the server.
• Query string of the URI: anything after the question mark in a URI.
• Protocol: the transport protocol and version.

How BRB uses the logs

For site management, BRB collects this information for analysis and statistics. BRB does not report or use it in any way that would reveal personally identifiable information. BRB will not release it to outside parties unless the law requires it.

For site security and to keep the site available to all users, BRB uses software to watch network traffic. The software looks for unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.

Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, BRB makes no other attempt to identify individual users or their usage habits. BRB uses raw data logs for no other purpose.

Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this site are strictly prohibited. They may be punishable under Texas Penal Code Chapters 33 (Computer Crimes) or 33A (Telecommunications Crimes).

Cookies

A cookie is a very small text file on a user's hard drive. The web server asks for it to be created so it can track specific information.

Most pages on this site set no cookies. A page where you send information to BRB sets one cookie, csrftoken. It protects that page's form against forged submissions, holds no information about you, and expires after one year. The site uses no analytics or advertising cookies.

If online filing is on, the site keeps a coded form of your network address to limit how many reports one connection can start. A scheduled cleanup deletes counts that have not been used for more than a day.

Email

BRB uses personally identifiable information in a question or comment you send by email or through an online form only to respond to your request and to analyze trends.

BRB may send your message to another government agency or person who is better placed to answer.

Web-based forms

BRB uses web-based forms to collect survey results and to receive the reports the law requires.

Personally identifiable information from these forms has a specified use, such as registration or a survey response. BRB uses the information only for that purpose.

Each form contains a link to this privacy policy.

Use and release of information

All information collected from the BRB website is subject to the Texas Public Information Act. That includes summary server log information, emails sent to the website and information from web-based forms.