Glossary
- Chapter 13 (Data Practices Act): The Minnesota law regulating how government handles data it collects, creates, maintains.
- Minnesota Rules, Chapter 1205: The Minnesota rules that relate and apply to Chapter 13.
- Chapter 13D (Open Meeting Law): The Minnesota law regulating meetings of public bodies.
- Advisory opinion: A non-binding finding by the Commissioner of Administration on an issue related to the Data Practices Act or the Open Meeting Law.
- Data practices: The rules, regulations, and practices of Minnesota government in its handling of government data.;
- Government entity: A unit of government, such as a state agency, city, county, school district.
- Government data: Everything government creates, collects, maintains that is recorded in some type of format.
- Official record: Government data that document a government entity’s official activities.
- Records retention schedule: A document that lists categories of official records and prescribes the length of time a government entity must keep its official records. Each government entity must have its own schedule or follow a general schedule.
- Data subject: The person or business/organization that government data are about.
- Classification of data: Determination by the Minnesota Legislature on whether government data are public or not public, whether the data subject gets access, and what additional rights flow to the data subject.
- Temporary classification: Government data that the Commissioner of Administration has made not public for a short period of time.
- Public data: Government data that are available to anyone for any reason.
- Not-public data: Any type of government data that are not available to the public – private, confidential, nonpublic, protected nonpublic.
- Private data: Government data about a person that are available to the person but not to the public.
- Nonpublic data: Government data about businesses/organizations/inanimate objects that are available to the businesses/organizations but not to the public.
- Confidential data: Government data about a person that are not available to the person or the public.
- Protected nonpublic data: Government data about businesses/organizations/inanimate objects that are not available to the businesses/organizations or the public.
- Responsible authority: Person in a government entity who ultimately is responsible for matters relating to the Data Practices Act.
- Data practices compliance official: Person in a government entity who handles data practices issues.
- Designee: A person the responsible authority designates to be in charge of certain records and to handle requests for government data.
- Tennessen warning notice: Specific information government must give a person when government collects data from that person. Named after the senate author of the original Data Practices Act – Bob Tennessen.
- Data challenge: When a person makes a formal objection that certain government data about him/her are incorrect and/or incomplete.
