The Minnesota Governmental Data Practice Act, Minn. Stat. Chap.13, governs the classification and public access to government data, including the data of state boards and commissions.
All government documents are presumed to be accessible to the public unless state or federal law classifies the data as private or confidential. The Act also applies to board related data, regardless of where it is maintained. A member's written or electronic communications related to board matters may be public data that is accessible to the public even if it is stored on a home computer.
Where the law classifies documents or information as private or confidential, members may not disclose the data. Disclosure of data classified as private or confidential violates the Act and can result in legal liability for the board. Willful violation of the Act is a misdemeanor.
More information is available at Data Practice Act Minn. Stat. Chap. 13.
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