YAKIMA — There are three draft bills in Olympia focusing on changes to the Public Records Act for lawmakers to consider.
Two lawmakers, Reps. Terry Neely, R-Dayton, and Joan McBride, D-Kirkland, are working on draft bills focusing on changes to the Public Records Act.
• The first bill would assess a fee for electronic documents similar to a copy fee that’s typically 15 cents a page. Most government agencies have converted to electronic documents, and requests are often handled through email. Despite the absence of paper, agencies still incur costs in searching for documents and redacting confidential information.
“There are a lot of people who think that’s the way to go,” McBride said.
Also part of that bill is language governing how requests should be made. For example, requests for all records held by an agency wouldn’t be considered a legitimate request. A time frame or an established focus of information sought would need to be defined.
• A second bill aims to add $1 to recording fees on property transfers that would fund a $250,000 project to train staff and update software for improved records management and easier access for the public. The bill also seeks $25,000 for a study for a statewide portal that would allow the public immediate access to many public documents without having to make a request.
“The records belong to the people, and we need to get them to the people efficiently and quickly; that’s what that bill aims to do,” McBride said.
• A third bill would establish a public records court similar to a small claims court, where disputes over public records could be handled quickly without the expenses incurred in Superior Court, where such cases are handled.
“This would be a quick, low-cost, don’t need an attorney process,” McBride said, noting that the option to move a case into Superior Court would remain. “It would be one vehicle to help speed up the process and cut costs.”
