Website Linking Policy

Policy Description

Objective:	To inform the public of the parameters governing the use of, copying information from, or linking to a state website.
Legal Cites:	Texas Government Code § 2054.125; 1 Tex. Admin. Code § 206.53
Policy:	IT 6001

The State Office of Administrative Hearings’ policy on establishing links from its website to other websites is guided by the business needs of the agency and whether there is a public purpose for establishing the link. Links are provided as a public service and for informational purposes only. Links are provided only when the external server provides information that is useful to the public, our constituents, or our employees; and relate to the agency’s programs, activities, or functions. The State Office of Administrative Hearings does not enter into reciprocal linking agreements.

The following are the State Office of Administrative Hearings’ guidelines for establishing external web links:

Political Websites: Links to political websites are not allowed.
Public Websites: Links to public websites (government and public education sites) are allowed.
Private Websites: Links to private commercial and noncommercial websites will only be allowed if there is a public purpose for establishing the link and the link is approved by the Chief Administrative Law Judge or designee.

Where there is a legitimate business need (public purpose) to establish a link from an agency web page to a private website, the proposed link will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If there is a public purpose for including such links (e.g. to facilitate the state fulfilling a specific statutory duty or to provide information related to the agency’s programs, activities, or functions), then the link may be allowed, subject to approval by the Chief Administrative Law Judge or designee.

We will remove or disallow links to external servers if we become aware that they are not managed in a professional manner, not operational and available most of the time, not kept up-to-date, provide inaccurate information or contain unlawful or inappropriate content. We will also remove a link if the owner of the website objects to such link.

The State Office of Administrative Hearings reserves the right to refuse to allow a link to be established to any website that contains material that may be deemed to be offensive or inappropriate as determined by the sole judgment and discretion of the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The State Office of Administrative Hearings also follows the State Website Linking and Privacy Policy that was adopted by the Texas Department of Information Resources.

Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

Any links provided through this website are included merely for the convenience of agency staff and the public as potential sources of information and/or to facilitate research that advances public purposes. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of other such websites.

Users of the website are responsible for checking the accuracy, completeness, currency, and/or suitability of all information themselves. Any web links available through this website do not constitute or imply an endorsement by the State Office of Administrative Hearings or the State of Texas of any product, process, or service listed in those websites or the producer or provider of those products or services.

The State Office of Administrative Hearings makes no effort to independently verify, and does not exert editorial control over, information on pages outside of the State Office of Administrative Hearings’ websites. The views and opinions expressed in any referenced document or any website linked to this website do not necessarily state or reflect those of the State Office of Administrative Hearings or the State of Texas. Neither the State Office of Administrative Hearings, nor the State of Texas, nor any of their employees, makes any warranties, express or implied, concerning the information, services, or software found on this site or other sites to which it links.

The State Office of Administrative Hearings and the State of Texas, and their employees, expressly disclaim all implied warranties of merchantability and of fitness for a particular purpose. You expressly agree that your use of this site is at your own risk. The State Office of Administrative Hearings, State of Texas, and their employees do not warrant that this website, its services, its servers, or email sent from it are free of viruses or other harmful components.

Under no circumstances shall the State Office of Administrative Hearings, State of Texas, or their employees be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages that result in any way from your use of this site, or sites to which it links, or from reliance on or use of information, services, software, or merchandise provided on or through this site, or that result from deletion of files, delays in operation or transmission of data, or any failure of performance of the site.