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House Research Department Updated: July 2010 <br />Minnesota Government Data Practices Act: An Overview Page 10 <br /> <br /> <br />that can be reasonably done. Information does not have to be provided <br />in an electronic format or program different from that in which the <br />government entity maintains the data. (Minn. Stat. §§ 13.03, subd. 3; <br />13.05, subd. 4, para. (d)) <br />Summary Data Unless a specific law provides otherwise, upon request, a responsible <br />authority must prepare a statistical record or report which is available <br />to the public and is known as summary data. Summary data are <br />prepared by eliminating all identifying features from confidential or <br />private data. The requesting person must pay the cost of making the <br />summary. A person outside the agency may be allowed to prepare the <br />summary, if that would not compromise the security of the data. (Minn. <br />Stat. § 13.05, subd. 7) <br />Denial of Access If a responsible authority determines that requested data are not public, <br />it must notify the individual requesting the data and cite the applicable <br />law or temporary classification that prevents the data from being made <br />public. (Minn. Stat. § 13.03, subd. 3, para. (f)) <br />Intergovernmental <br />Data Access <br />Government entities may share data that are not public with each other <br />only if provided by law. The requesting entity may be required to pay <br />the sending entity’s actual cost of supplying the data. (Minn. Stat. § <br />13.05, subd. 9) <br />Data that is shared between entities maintains the same classification in <br />the hands of the receiving entity as it had in the hands of the entity <br />providing the data. (Minn. Stat § 13.03, subd. 4) <br />Discoverability of <br />Not Public Data <br />In a lawsuit, arbitration, or administrative action, parties may seek <br />discovery of government data or have a court order for release of data. <br />The responsible authority will refuse to comply if the data are <br />classified as not public. The party seeking release may then bring an <br />action to compel discovery. The presiding officer will decide <br />(1) whether the data are discoverable under applicable rules of <br />evidence or procedure, and (2) if so, whether the benefit of access <br />outweighs the harm to confidentiality interests of the agency holding <br />the data, the person providing the data, or the privacy of an individual <br />identified in the data. (Minn. Stat. § 13.03, subd. 6)