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BRIEF: Over the past 2 months, many Texans have received informational letters from their insurance companies that described new federal privacy laws. The new privacy laws apply to entities in possession of medical records, like doctors and hospitals, but according to the Lubbock City Attorney, the law also applies to the Lubbock Police Department. In a decision described as a misinterpretation of the law by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who drafted the new privacy laws, Lubbock City Attorney Anita Burgess ordered police to cease disclosing publicly the medical information about crime or accident victims, even a victim's death. City Attorney Burgess believed that city officials, and the police, would be breaking the new federal privacy laws if they continued to release murder or traffic fatality information to newspapers or other media. Lubbock is the only Texas city that interpreted the new privacy laws as applying to the police department. Since the federal laws were enacted, other Texas cities, and the Texas Department of Public Safety continue to disclose crime and accident details to the public and press. The vice-president of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association called Lubbock city officials' understanding of the privacy laws as "absolute abomination of the intent of the legislation." The mayor of Lubbock said this week that the city's new policy of withholding medical information would be tabled until the Lubbock City Council can discuss the matter on May 6. Charles Snider, KFPT News, Houston. E-mail Charles Snider at charles@77002.com . This story was broadcast on April 25, 2003.