(a) The records of a participant in the group benefits program in the custody of the Employees Retirement System of Texas, or of an administering firm, carrier, or another governmental entity acting on behalf of the retirement system, are confidential and not subject to disclosure, and the retirement system, administering firm, carrier, or governmental entity is not required to accept or comply with a request for a record or information about a record or to seek an opinion from the attorney general, because the records are exempt from the provisions of Chapter 552, Government Code, except as provided by this section.
(b) The records may be released to a participant or to an authorized attorney, family member, or representative acting on behalf of the participant.

(c) To accomplish the purposes of this chapter, the board of trustees may release the records to:
(1) an administering firm, carrier, agent, or attorney acting on behalf of the board;
(2) another governmental entity having a legitimate need for the information to perform a function of the board of trustees;
(3) an authorized medical provider of the participant; or
(4) a party in response to a subpoena issued under applicable law.
(d) The records of a participant remain confidential after release to a person as authorized by this section.
(d-1) A record released or received by the Employees Retirement System of Texas under this section may be transmitted electronically, including through the use of an electronic signature or certification in a form acceptable to the retirement system. An unintentional disclosure to, or unauthorized access by, a third party related to the transmission or receipt of information under this section is not a violation by the retirement system of any law, including a law or rule relating to the protection of confidential information.
(e) The records of a participant may become part of the public record of an administrative or judicial proceeding related to a contested case under this chapter unless the records are closed to public access by a protective order issued under applicable law. If a participant’s records have become part of the public record of a proceeding and the records are not the subject of a protective order, the participant is considered to have waived the privacy of the participant’s records.
(f) The Employees Retirement System of Texas has sole discretion in determining if a record is subject to this section. For purposes of this section, a record includes any identifying information about a person, living or deceased, who is or was an employee, annuitant, dependent, or participant in the group benefits program.