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H.B. 272

             1     

GOVERNMENT RECORDS COMMITTEE

             2     
PROCESSES

             3     
1999 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Martin R. Stephens

             6      AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS IN GENERAL; MODIFYING PROVISIONS FOR
             7      APPEALS TO THE STATE RECORDS COMMITTEE; AMENDING REQUIREMENTS FOR
             8      PRODUCING REQUIRED RECORDS; PROVIDING PENALTIES; AND MAKING
             9      TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
             10      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             11      AMENDS:
             12          63-2-403, as last amended by Chapter 133, Laws of Utah 1995
             13      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             14          Section 1. Section 63-2-403 is amended to read:
             15           63-2-403. Appeals to the records committee.
             16          (1) A petitioner, including an aggrieved person who did not participate in the appeal to the
             17      governmental entity's chief administrative officer, may appeal to the records committee by filing
             18      a notice of appeal with the executive secretary no later than:
             19          (a) 30 days after the chief administrative officer of the governmental entity has granted
             20      or denied the records request in whole or in part, including a denial under Subsection 63-2-204 (7);
             21          (b) 45 days after the original request for records if:
             22          (i) the circumstances described in Subsection 63-2-401 (1)(b) occur; and
             23          (ii) the chief administrative officer failed to make a determination under Section 63-2-401 .
             24          (2) The notice of appeal shall contain the following information:
             25          (a) the petitioner's name, mailing address, and daytime telephone number;
             26          (b) a copy of any denial of the records request; and
             27          (c) the relief sought.


             28          (3) The petitioner may file a short statement of facts, reasons, and legal authority in
             29      support of the appeal.
             30          (4) (a) [No] Except as provided in Subsection (4)(b), no later than three business days after
             31      receiving a notice of appeal, the executive secretary of the records committee shall:
             32          [(a)] (i) schedule a hearing for the records committee to discuss the appeal at the next
             33      regularly scheduled committee meeting falling at least 14 days after the date the notice of appeal
             34      is filed but no longer than 45 days after the date the notice of appeal was filed provided, however,
             35      the records committee may schedule an expedited hearing upon application of the petitioner and
             36      good cause shown;
             37          [(b)] (ii) send a copy of the notice of hearing to the petitioner; and
             38          [(c)] (iii) send a copy of the notice of appeal, supporting statement, and a notice of hearing
             39      to:
             40          [(i)] (A) each member of the records committee;
             41          [(ii)] (B) the records officer and the chief administrative officer of the governmental entity
             42      from which the appeal originated;
             43          [(iii)] (C) any person who made a business confidentiality claim under Section 63-2-308
             44      for a record that is the subject of the appeal; and
             45          [(iv)] (D) all persons who participated in the proceedings before the governmental entity's
             46      chief administrative officer.
             47          (b) (i) The executive secretary of the records committee may decline to schedule a hearing
             48      S [ if the records that are the subject of the appeal have been found by the committee in a
             48a      previous ] IF THE RECORD SERIES THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE APPEAL HAS BEEN FOUND BY
             48b      THE COMMITTEE IN A PREVIOUS s
             49      hearing involving the same government S [ agency ] ENTITY s to be appropriately classified as
             49a      private, controlled,
             50      or protected.
             51          (ii) (A) If the executive secretary of the records committee declines to schedule a hearing,
             52      the executive secretary of the records committee shall send a notice to the petitioner indicating that
             53      the request for hearing has been denied and the reason for the denial.
             54          (B) The committee shall make rules to implement this section as provided by Title 63,
             55      Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
             56          (5) (a) A written statement of facts, reasons, and legal authority in support of the
             57      governmental entity's position must be submitted to the executive secretary of the records
             58      committee not later than five business days before the hearing.


             59          (b) The governmental entity shall send a copy of the written statement to the petitioner by
             60      first class mail, postage prepaid. The executive secretary shall forward a copy of the written
             61      statement to each member of the records committee.
             62          (6) No later than ten business days after the notice of appeal is sent by the executive
             63      secretary, a person whose legal interests may be substantially affected by the proceeding may file
             64      a request for intervention before the records committee. Any written statement of facts, reasons,
             65      and legal authority in support of the intervener's position shall be filed with the request for
             66      intervention. The person seeking intervention shall provide copies of the statement to all parties
             67      to the proceedings before the records committee.
             68          (7) The records committee shall hold a hearing within the period of time described in
             69      Subsection (4).
             70          (8) At the hearing, the records committee shall allow the parties to testify, present
             71      evidence, and comment on the issues. The records committee may allow other interested persons
             72      to comment on the issues.
             73          (9) (a) The records committee may review the disputed records. However, if the
             74      committee is weighing the various interests under Subsection (11), the committee must review the
             75      disputed records. The review shall be in camera.
             76          (b) Members of the records committee may not disclose any information or record
             77      reviewed by the committee in camera unless the disclosure is otherwise authorized by this chapter.
             78          (10) (a) Discovery is prohibited, but the records committee may issue subpoenas or other
             79      orders to compel production of necessary evidence.
             80          (b) When the subject of a records committee subpoena disobeys or fails to comply with
             81      the subpoena, the records committee may file a motion for an order to compel obedience to the
             82      subpoena with the district court.
             83          [(b)] (c) The records committee's review shall be de novo.
             84          (11) (a) No later than three business days after the hearing, the records committee shall
             85      issue a signed order either granting the petition in whole or in part or upholding the determination
             86      of the governmental entity in whole or in part.
             87          (b) The records committee may, upon consideration and weighing of the various interests
             88      and public policies pertinent to the classification and disclosure or nondisclosure, order the
             89      disclosure of information properly classified as private, controlled, or protected if the public


             90      interest favoring access outweighs the interest favoring restriction of access.
             91          (c) In making a determination under Subsection (11)(b), the records committee shall
             92      consider and, where appropriate, limit the requester's use and further disclosure of the record in
             93      order to protect privacy interests in the case of private or controlled records, business
             94      confidentiality interests in the case of records protected under Subsections 63-2-304 (1) and (2),
             95      and privacy interests or the public interest in the case of other protected records.
             96          (12) The order of the records committee shall include:
             97          (a) a statement of reasons for the decision, including citations to this chapter, court rule
             98      or order, another state statute, federal statute, or federal regulation that governs disclosure of the
             99      record, provided that the citations do not disclose private, controlled, or protected information;
             100          (b) a description of the record or portions of the record to which access was ordered or
             101      denied, provided that the description does not disclose private, controlled, or protected information
             102      or information exempt from disclosure under Subsection 63-2-201 (3)(b);
             103          (c) a statement that any party to the proceeding before the records committee may appeal
             104      the records committee's decision to district court; and
             105          (d) a brief summary of the appeals process, the time limits for filing an appeal, and a notice
             106      that in order to protect its rights on appeal, the party may wish to seek advice from an attorney.
             107          (13) If the records committee fails to issue a decision within 35 days of the filing of the
             108      notice of appeal, that failure shall be considered the equivalent of an order denying the appeal. The
             109      petitioner shall notify the records committee in writing if he considers the appeal denied.
             110          (14) (a) Each government S [ agency ] ENTITY s shall comply with the order of the records
             110a      committee
             111      and, if records are ordered to be produced, file:
             112          (i) a notice of compliance with the records committee upon production of the records; or
             113          (ii) a notice of intent to appeal.
             114           h [ (b) A public officer or employee who fails to comply with this section is guilty of a class
             115      B misdemeanor.
]

             115a           (b)(i) IF THE GOVERNMENT S [AGENCY] ENTITY s FAILS TO FILE A NOTICE OF
             115ab      COMPLIANCE OR A
             115b      NOTICE OF INTENT TO APPEAL, THE RECORDS COMMITTEE MAY DO EITHER OR BOTH OF THE
             115c      FOLLOWING:
             115d          (A) IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY OF UP TO $500 FOR EACH DAY OF CONTINUING
             115e      NONCOMPLIANCE; OR
             115f          (B) SEND WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE S [AGENCY'S] ENTITY'S s NONCOMPLIANCE TO THE
             115fb      GOVERNOR FOR
             115g      E XECUTIVE BRANCH S [AGENCIES] ENTITIES s , TO THE LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FOR
             115h      LEGISLATIVE BRANCH S [AGENCIES] ENTITIES s , AND TO THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL FOR JUDICIAL BRANCH
             115i      S [AGENCIES] ENTITIES s .
             115j          (ii) IN IMPOSING A CIVIL PENALTY, THE RECORDS COMMITTEE SHALL CONSIDER
             115k      THE GRAVITY AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE VIOLATION, INCLUDING WHETHER              115l      THE FAILURE TO
             115l      COMPLY WAS DUE TO NEGLECT OR WAS WILLFUL OR INTENTIONAL. h





Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-29-99 9:26 AM


A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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