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H.B. 278

             1     

GOVERNMENT RECORDS ACCESS AND

             2     
MANAGEMENT ACT AMENDMENTS

             3     
2010 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Christopher N. Herrod

             6     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies provisions in the Government Records Access and Management Act.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    requires a record to be produced in an electronic format upon request if the
             14      governmental entity currently maintains the record in an electronic format, subject
             15      to certain restrictions;
             16          .    modifies language dealing with requirements for initial responses to records
             17      requests;
             18          .    reduces the deadline for a governmental entity to respond that it does not maintain
             19      records requested;
             20          .    reduces the deadline for a governmental entity to provide notice that it is requesting
             21      additional time to respond to a request due to extraordinary circumstances; and
             22          .    makes technical changes.
             23      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             24          None
             25      Other Special Clauses:
             26          None
             27      Utah Code Sections Affected:


             28      AMENDS:
             29          63G-2-201, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
             30          63G-2-204, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
             31     
             32      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             33          Section 1. Section 63G-2-201 is amended to read:
             34           63G-2-201. Right to inspect records and receive copies of records.
             35          (1) Every person has the right to inspect a public record free of charge, and the right to
             36      take a copy of a public record during normal working hours, subject to Sections 63G-2-203 and
             37      63G-2-204 .
             38          (2) A record is public unless otherwise expressly provided by statute.
             39          (3) The following records are not public:
             40          (a) a record that is private, controlled, or protected under Sections 63G-2-302 ,
             41      63G-2-303 , 63G-2-304 , and 63G-2-305 ; and
             42          (b) a record to which access is restricted pursuant to court rule, another state statute,
             43      federal statute, or federal regulation, including records for which access is governed or
             44      restricted as a condition of participation in a state or federal program or for receiving state or
             45      federal funds.
             46          (4) Only a record specified in Section 63G-2-302 , 63G-2-303 , 63G-2-304 , or
             47      63G-2-305 may be classified private, controlled, or protected.
             48          (5) (a) A governmental entity may not disclose a record that is private, controlled, or
             49      protected to any person except as provided in Subsection (5)(b), Subsection (5)(c), Section
             50      63G-2-202 , 63G-2-206 , or 63G-2-303 .
             51          (b) A governmental entity may disclose a record that is private under Subsection
             52      63G-2-302 (2) or protected under Section 63G-2-305 to persons other than those specified in
             53      Section 63G-2-202 or 63G-2-206 if the head of a governmental entity, or a designee,
             54      determines that:
             55          (i) there is no interest in restricting access to the record; or
             56          (ii) the interests favoring access outweighs the interest favoring restriction of access.
             57          (c) In addition to the disclosure under Subsection (5)(b), a governmental entity may
             58      disclose a record that is protected under Subsection 63G-2-305 (51) if:


             59          (i) the head of the governmental entity, or a designee, determines that the disclosure:
             60          (A) is mutually beneficial to:
             61          (I) the subject of the record;
             62          (II) the governmental entity; and
             63          (III) the public; and
             64          (B) serves a public purpose related to:
             65          (I) public safety; or
             66          (II) consumer protection; and
             67          (ii) the person who receives the record from the governmental entity agrees not to use
             68      or allow the use of the record for advertising or solicitation purposes.
             69          (6) (a) The disclosure of a record to which access is governed or limited pursuant to
             70      court rule, another state statute, federal statute, or federal regulation, including a record for
             71      which access is governed or limited as a condition of participation in a state or federal program
             72      or for receiving state or federal funds, is governed by the specific provisions of that statute,
             73      rule, or regulation.
             74          (b) This chapter applies to records described in Subsection (6)(a) insofar as this chapter
             75      is not inconsistent with the statute, rule, or regulation.
             76          (7) A governmental entity shall provide a person with a certified copy of a record if:
             77          (a) the person requesting the record has a right to inspect it;
             78          (b) the person identifies the record with reasonable specificity; and
             79          (c) the person pays the lawful fees.
             80          (8) (a) In response to a request, a governmental entity is not required to:
             81          (i) create a record;
             82          (ii) compile, format, manipulate, package, summarize, or tailor information;
             83          (iii) provide a record in a particular format, medium, or program not currently
             84      maintained by the governmental entity;
             85          (iv) fulfill a person's records request if the request unreasonably duplicates prior
             86      records requests from that person; or
             87          (v) fill a person's records request if:
             88          (A) the record requested is accessible in the identical physical form and content in a
             89      public publication or product produced by the governmental entity receiving the request;


             90          (B) the governmental entity provides the person requesting the record with the public
             91      publication or product; and
             92          (C) the governmental entity specifies where the record can be found in the public
             93      publication or product.
             94          (b) Upon request, a governmental entity may provide a record in a particular form
             95      under Subsection (8)(a)(ii) or (iii) if:
             96          (i) the governmental entity determines it is able to do so without unreasonably
             97      interfering with the governmental entity's duties and responsibilities; and
             98          (ii) the requester agrees to pay the governmental entity for providing the record in the
             99      requested form in accordance with Section 63G-2-203 .
             100          (9) (a) A governmental entity may allow a person requesting more than 50 pages of
             101      records to copy the records if:
             102          (i) the records are contained in files that do not contain records that are exempt from
             103      disclosure, or the records may be segregated to remove private, protected, or controlled
             104      information from disclosure; and
             105          (ii) the governmental entity provides reasonable safeguards to protect the public from
             106      the potential for loss of a public record.
             107          (b) When the requirements of Subsection (9)(a) are met, the governmental entity may:
             108          (i) provide the requester with the facilities for copying the requested records and
             109      require that the requester make the copies; or
             110          (ii) allow the requester to provide the requester's own copying facilities and personnel
             111      to make the copies at the governmental entity's offices and waive the fees for copying the
             112      records.
             113          (10) (a) A governmental entity that owns an intellectual property right and that offers
             114      the intellectual property right for sale or license may control by ordinance or policy the
             115      duplication and distribution of the material based on terms the governmental entity considers to
             116      be in the public interest.
             117          (b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit or impair the rights or protections
             118      granted to the governmental entity under federal copyright or patent law as a result of its
             119      ownership of the intellectual property right.
             120          (11) A governmental entity may not use the physical form, electronic or otherwise, in


             121      which a record is stored to deny, or unreasonably hinder the rights of a person to inspect and
             122      receive a copy of a record under this chapter.
             123          (12) [A] Subject to the requirements of Subsection (8), a governmental entity [may]
             124      shall provide access to an electronic copy of a record in lieu of providing access to its paper
             125      equivalent[.] if:
             126          (a) the person making the request requests or states a preference for an electronic copy;
             127          (b) the governmental entity currently maintains the record in an electronic format; and
             128          (c) the electronic copy of the record:
             129          (i) does not disclose other records that are exempt from disclosure; or
             130          (ii) may be segregated to protect private, protected, or controlled information from
             131      disclosure without the undue expenditure of public resources or funds.
             132          Section 2. Section 63G-2-204 is amended to read:
             133           63G-2-204. Requests -- Time limit for response and extraordinary circumstances.
             134          (1) A person making a request for a record shall furnish the governmental entity with a
             135      written request containing:
             136          (a) the person's name, mailing address, and daytime telephone number, if available;
             137      and
             138          (b) a description of the record requested that identifies the record with reasonable
             139      specificity.
             140          (2) (a) Subject to Subsection (2)(b), a person making a request for a record shall submit
             141      the request to the governmental entity that prepares, owns, or retains the record.
             142          (b) In response to a request for a record, a governmental entity may not provide a
             143      record that it has received under Section 63G-2-206 as a shared record if the record was shared
             144      for the purpose of auditing, if the governmental entity is authorized by state statute to conduct
             145      an audit.
             146          (c) If a governmental entity is prohibited from providing a record under Subsection
             147      (2)(b), it shall:
             148          (i) deny the records request; and
             149          (ii) inform the person making the request that records requests must be submitted to the
             150      governmental entity that prepares, owns, or retains the record.
             151          (d) A governmental entity may make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3,


             152      Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, specifying where and to whom requests for access shall
             153      be directed.
             154          (3) (a) After receiving a request for a record, a governmental entity shall:
             155          [(3) (a) As] (i) as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than 10 business days after
             156      receiving [a] the written request, or five business days after receiving [a] the written request if
             157      the requester demonstrates that an expedited response to the record request benefits the public
             158      rather than the person[, the governmental entity shall respond to the request by]:
             159          [(i) approving] (A) approve the request and [providing ] provide a copy of the record;
             160      or
             161          [(ii) denying the request;]
             162          (B) deny the request in accordance with the procedures and requirements of Section
             163      63G-2-205 ; or
             164          (ii) as soon as reasonably possible, but not later than five business days after receiving
             165      the written request:
             166          [(iii) notifying] (A) notify the requester that it does not maintain the type of record
             167      requested and [providing] provide, if known, the name and address of the governmental entity
             168      that does maintain [the] that type of record; or
             169          [(iv) notifying] (B) notify the requester that because of one of the extraordinary
             170      circumstances listed in Subsection (4), it cannot immediately approve or deny the request[.],
             171      and include with the notice:
             172          [(b) The notice described in Subsection (3)(a)(iv) shall:]
             173          [(i) describe the circumstances relied upon; and]
             174           (I) a description of the circumstances that constitute the extraordinary circumstances;
             175      and
             176          [(ii) specify] (II) the date when the records will be available, consistent with the
             177      requirements of Subsection (5).
             178          [(c)] (b) Any person who requests a record to obtain information for a story or report
             179      for publication or broadcast to the general public is presumed to be acting to benefit the public
             180      rather than a person.
             181          (4) The following circumstances constitute "extraordinary circumstances" that allow a
             182      governmental entity to delay approval or denial by an additional period of time as specified in


             183      Subsection (5) if the governmental entity determines that due to the extraordinary
             184      circumstances it cannot respond within the time limits provided in Subsection (3):
             185          (a) another governmental entity is using the record, in which case the originating
             186      governmental entity shall promptly request that the governmental entity currently in possession
             187      return the record;
             188          (b) another governmental entity is using the record as part of an audit, and returning the
             189      record before the completion of the audit would impair the conduct of the audit;
             190          (c) (i) the request is for a voluminous quantity of records or a record series containing a
             191      substantial number of records;
             192          (ii) the requester seeks a substantial number of records or records series in requests
             193      filed within five working days of each other;
             194          (d) the governmental entity is currently processing a large number of records requests;
             195          (e) the request requires the governmental entity to review a large number of records to
             196      locate the records requested;
             197          (f) the decision to release a record involves legal issues that require the governmental
             198      entity to seek legal counsel for the analysis of statutes, rules, ordinances, regulations, or case
             199      law;
             200          (g) segregating information that the requester is entitled to inspect from information
             201      that the requester is not entitled to inspect requires extensive editing; or
             202          (h) segregating information that the requester is entitled to inspect from information
             203      that the requester is not entitled to inspect requires computer programming.
             204          (5) If one of the extraordinary circumstances listed in Subsection (4) precludes
             205      approval or denial within the time specified in Subsection (3), the following time limits apply
             206      to the extraordinary circumstances:
             207          (a) for claims under Subsection (4)(a), the governmental entity currently in possession
             208      of the record shall return the record to the originating entity within five business days of the
             209      request for the return unless returning the record would impair the holder's work;
             210          (b) for claims under Subsection (4)(b), the originating governmental entity shall notify
             211      the requester when the record is available for inspection and copying;
             212          (c) for claims under Subsections (4)(c), (d), and (e), the governmental entity shall:
             213          (i) disclose the records that it has located which the requester is entitled to inspect;


             214          (ii) provide the requester with an estimate of the amount of time it will take to finish
             215      the work required to respond to the request;
             216          (iii) complete the work and disclose those records that the requester is entitled to
             217      inspect as soon as reasonably possible; and
             218          (iv) for any person that does not establish a right to an expedited response as
             219      authorized by Subsection (3)(a), a governmental entity may choose to:
             220          (A) require the person to provide for copying of the records as provided in Subsection
             221      63G-2-201 (9); or
             222          (B) treat a request for multiple records as separate record requests, and respond
             223      sequentially to each request;
             224          (d) for claims under Subsection (4)(f), the governmental entity shall either approve or
             225      deny the request within five business days after the response time specified for the original
             226      request has expired;
             227          (e) for claims under Subsection (4)(g), the governmental entity shall fulfill the request
             228      within 15 business days from the date of the original request; or
             229          (f) for claims under Subsection (4)(h), the governmental entity shall complete its
             230      programming and disclose the requested records as soon as reasonably possible.
             231          (6) (a) If a request for access is submitted to an office of a governmental entity other
             232      than that specified by rule in accordance with Subsection (2), the office shall promptly forward
             233      the request to the appropriate office.
             234          (b) If the request is forwarded promptly, the time limit for response begins when the
             235      record is received by the office specified by rule.
             236          (7) If the governmental entity fails to provide the requested records or issue a denial
             237      within the specified time period, that failure is considered the equivalent of a determination
             238      denying access to the record.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-29-10 1:00 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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