Function of Public Records Act Officer
- Oversee compliance with the Public Records Act
- Provide the fullest assistance to requestors
- Coordinate department response to requests
- Protect records from destruction
- Fulfill requests in a timely manner
Responding to Public Records
Within five business days of the receipt of the request, the Public Records Act Officer will do one or more of the following:
Five-day rule begins one working day after receipt of the request
- Make records available for inspection or copying
- Acknowledge receipt of request and provide a reasonable estimate of when records will be available
- Send requested copies to requestor if payment has been received
- Seek clarification of unclear requests
- Deny the request with explanation of denial
All records will be released if they do not fall within the specific exemptions of the Public Records Act or other statutes which exempt or prohibit disclosure of specific information or records.
The Public Records Act Officer will describe why each withheld record or redacted portion of a record is exempt from disclosure.
In compliance with RCW 42.56.070 (9), the Legislative Department does not disclose lists of individuals for commercial purposes.
Additional Important Information/Careful Attention
Protecting the rights of others – In the event that the requested records contain information that may affect the rights of others and may be exempt from disclosure, the Public Records Act Officer may, prior to providing the records, give notice to such others whose rights may be affected by the disclosure, including providing a copy of the request.
Later discovered documents – If, after the Legislative Department has informed the requestor that it has provided all available records, and becomes aware of additional responsive documents existing at the time of the request, it will promptly inform the requestor of the additional documents and provide them on an expedited basis.
Withdrawn or abandoned requests – When the requestor either withdraws the request or fails to fulfill his or her obligations to inspect the records, pay the deposit, or make final payment within thirty days for the requested copies, the Public Records Act Officer will close the request and notify the requestor the request has been closed.
Administrative Appeal/Review of Denials
A requestor may submit a written request petitioning the review of any denied record to:
Denise Williams
Public Records Act Appeals Officer
Administrative Services Director
PO Box 34025
Seattle, WA 98124-4025
The appeals officer will respond within two business days of receipt of the appeal.
Public Records
A "public record" is defined to include any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristic.
"Writing" as defined in the disclosure statutes means handwriting, typewriting, printing, photographing, and every other means of recording any form of communication or representation, including, but not limited to, letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combination thereof, and all papers, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films and prints, motion picture, film and video recordings, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, diskettes, sound recordings, and other documents including existing data compilations from which information may be obtained or translated.
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