Legislation cleared the state Senate on Tuesday that would require public hospitals to report all compensation paid to an official, but also allow them to keep private the details involving the purchase of medical practices.

The bill requiring full reporting of compensation passed unanimously, while the bill that closes off medical practice purchase information passed on a 45-5 vote. Both bills move on to the House, Dan Kane reports.

Both bills resulted from public records court battles involving public hospitals. The Charlotte Observer lost a battle to learn the total compensation for Carolinas HealthCare System officials, but got help from the Senate legislation.

Meanwhile, the Wilkes Journal Patriot won a lawsuit to learn about the details of a medical practice purchase by a local hospital, but the other Senate bill would close off such information in the future.