The Washington Attorney General’s Office recently released updated model rules to help public agencies comply with the state’s Public Records Act. The release comes after more than a year of public input and rulemaking. The revisions were prompted in part by concerns from news organizations about increasing response times for public records requests.
The updated rules reflect recent court decisions and provide greater clarity around submitting records requests, timely records production and third-party notification requirements. They also encourage agencies to improve transparency and streamline responses by sorting requests into simple and complex tracks and providing readily available records within the initial five-day response period.
The model rules are voluntary and may be adopted in whole or in part by state and local agencies as they work to meet their obligations under Washington’s Public Records Act. (Zosia Stanley)