2023 -- S 0420

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LC001135

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC RECORDS -- ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS

     

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Ciccone, Zurier, Euer, McKenney, Burke, F.
Lombardi, Acosta, Goodwin, and Pearson

     Date Introduced: February 16, 2023

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 38-2-1, 38-2-2, 38-2-3, 38-2-3.2, 38-2-3.16, 38-2-4, 38-2-7, 38-2-9,

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38-2-14 and 38-2-15 of the General Laws in Chapter 38-2 entitled "Access to Public Records" are

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hereby amended to read as follows:

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     38-2-1. Purpose.

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     The public’s right to access to public records and the individual’s right to dignity and

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privacy are both recognized to be principles of the utmost importance in a free society. The purpose

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of this chapter is to facilitate public access to public records. It is also the intent of this chapter to

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protect from disclosure information about particular individuals maintained in the files of public

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bodies when disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy as specified

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by the exemptions contained in this chapter.

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     38-2-2. Definitions.

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     As used in this chapter:

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     (1) "Agency" or "public body" means any executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory, or

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administrative body of the state, or any political subdivision thereof; including, but not limited to:

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any department, division, agency, commission, board, office, bureau, authority; any school, fire, or

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water district, or other agency of Rhode Island state or local government that exercises

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governmental functions; any authority as defined in § 42-35-1(b); or any other public or private

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agency, person, partnership, corporation, or business entity acting on behalf of and/or in place of

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any public agency, and shall also include the police department of any private educational

 

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institution of higher learning employing any special police officers pursuant to § 12-2.1-1 or peace

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officers as defined in § 12-7-21.

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     (2) "Chief administrative officer" means the highest authority of the public body.

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     (3) "Public business" means any matter over which the public body has supervision,

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control, jurisdiction, or advisory power.

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     (4) "Public record" or "public records" shall mean all documents, papers, letters, maps,

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books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data

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processing records, computer stored data (including electronic mail messages, except specifically

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for any electronic mail messages of or to elected officials with or relating to those they represent

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and correspondence of or to elected officials in their official capacities), or other material regardless

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of physical form or characteristics made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection

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with the transaction of official business by any agency. For the purposes of this chapter, and subject

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to the provisions of § 38-2-3(b), the following records shall not be deemed public:

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     (A)(I)(a)(i) All records relating to a client/attorney relationship and to a doctor/patient

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relationship, including all medical records and information protected by state or federal health care

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confidentiality laws relating to an individual in any files.

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     (ii) All records protected by the attorney-client privilege.

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     (b) Personnel and other personal individually identifiable records otherwise deemed

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confidential by federal or state law or regulation, or the disclosure of which would constitute a

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clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552 et seq.; provided,

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however, with respect to employees, and employees of contractors and subcontractors working on

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public works projects that are required to be listed as certified payrolls, the name, gross salary,

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salary range, total cost of paid fringe benefits, gross amount received in overtime, and any other

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remuneration in addition to salary, job title, job description, dates of employment and positions

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held with the state, municipality, or public works contractor or subcontractor on public works

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projects, employment contract, work location, and/or project, business telephone number, the city

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or town of residence, and date of termination shall be public. For the purposes of this section

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"remuneration" shall include any payments received by an employee as a result of termination, or

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otherwise leaving employment, including, but not limited to, payments for accrued sick and/or

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vacation time, severance pay, or compensation paid pursuant to a contract buy-out provision. For

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purposes of this section, the city or town residence shall not be deemed public for peace officers,

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as defined in § 12-7-21, and shall not be released. For purposes of this section, "employee" means

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those individuals currently employed by a public body and those previously employed by a public

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body.

 

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     (II) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, or any other provision of the general

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laws to the contrary, the pension records of all persons who are either current or retired members

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of any public retirement systems, as well as all persons who become members of those retirement

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systems after June 17, 1991, shall be open for public inspection. "Pension records" as used in this

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section, shall include all records containing information concerning pension and retirement benefits

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of current and retired members of the retirement systems and future members of said systems,

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including all records concerning retirement credits purchased and the ability of any member of the

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retirement system to purchase retirement credits, but excluding all information regarding the

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medical condition of any person and all information identifying the member’s designated

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beneficiary or beneficiaries unless and until the member’s designated beneficiary or beneficiaries

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have received or are receiving pension and/or retirement benefits through the retirement system.

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     (B) Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person, firm,

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or corporation that is of a privileged or confidential nature.

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     (C) Child custody and adoption records, records of illegitimate births, and records of

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juvenile proceedings before the family court.

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     (D) All records maintained by law enforcement agencies for criminal law enforcement and

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all records relating to the detection and investigation of crime, including those maintained on any

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individual or compiled in the course of a criminal investigation by any law enforcement agency.

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Provided, however, such records shall not be deemed public only to the extent that the disclosure

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of the records or information (a) Could reasonably be expected to interfere with investigations of

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criminal activity or with enforcement proceedings; (b) Would deprive a person of a right to a fair

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trial or an impartial adjudication; (c) Could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted

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invasion of personal privacy; (d) Could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a

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confidential source, including a state, local, or foreign agency or authority, or any private institution

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that furnished information on a confidential basis, or the information furnished by a confidential

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source; (e) Would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or

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prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions; or

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(f) Could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual. Records

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relating to management and direction of a law enforcement agency and records or reports, including

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the initial narrative report, reflecting the initial arrest of an adult and the charge or charges brought

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against an adult shall be public. The "initial narrative report" means the written statement(s)

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accompanying or supplementing the arrest report of an adult(s), recounting the arrest and the

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incident(s) and/or circumstance(s) leading to the arrest, as prepared by the arresting or investigating

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officer(s). A police report of an incident that does not lead to an arrest shall not be deemed

 

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presumptively exempt from disclosure.

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     (I) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any reports of investigations conducted by

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internal affair units or their equivalent, regardless of how or by whom the investigation was

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initiated, shall be public records; provided, however, names, addresses and other personal

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identifiers may be redacted from the reports to the extent their disclosure would constitute a clearly

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unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The name and underlying activity of any law

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enforcement officer who has been found to have engaged in misconduct that legally requires

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prosecutorial disclosure to a criminal defendant shall be public. Provided, however, no personally

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identifiable information shall be released to the extent its release would be in conflict with chapter

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28.6 of title 42, the ("law enforcement officers’ bill of rights").

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     (II) All police body-worn camera recordings shall be subject to this chapter; provided

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further, however, any recordings of incidents involving police use of force shall be publicly

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available within thirty (30) days in full or redacted form notwithstanding the presence of an ongoing

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investigation into the incident.

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     (E) Any records that would not be available by law or rule of court to an opposing party in

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litigation.

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     (F) Scientific and technological secrets and the security plans of military and law

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enforcement agencies, the disclosure of which would endanger the public welfare and security.

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     (G) Any records that disclose the identity of the contributor of a bona fide and lawful

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charitable contribution to the public body whenever public anonymity has been requested of the

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public body with respect to the contribution by the contributor.

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     (H) Reports and statements of strategy or negotiation involving labor negotiations or

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collective bargaining.

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     (I) Reports and statements of strategy or negotiation with respect to the investment or

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borrowing of public funds, until such time as those transactions are entered into.

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     (J) Any minutes of a meeting of a public body that are not required to be disclosed pursuant

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to chapter 46 of title 42.

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     (K) Preliminary drafts, notes, impressions, memoranda, working papers, and work

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products, including those involving research at state institutions of higher education on commercial,

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scientific, artistic, technical, or scholarly issues, whether in electronic or other format; provided,

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however, any documents submitted at a public meeting of a public body shall be deemed public.

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     (L) Test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used to administer a licensing

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examination, examination for employment or promotion, or academic examinations; provided,

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however, that a person shall have the right to review the results of his or her examination.

 

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     (M) Correspondence of or to elected officials with or relating to those they represent and

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correspondence of or to elected officials in their official capacities that has no demonstrable

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connection to the exercise of official acts or duties.

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     (N) The contents of real estate appraisals, engineering, or feasibility estimates and

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evaluations made for or by an agency relative to the acquisition of property or to prospective public

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supply and construction contracts, until such time as all of the property has been acquired or all

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proceedings or transactions have been terminated or abandoned; provided the law of eminent

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domain shall not be affected by this provision.

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     (O) All tax returns.

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     (P) All investigatory records of public bodies, with the exception of law enforcement

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agencies, pertaining to possible violations of statute, rule, or regulation other than records of final

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actions taken, provided that all records prior to formal notification of violations or noncompliance

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shall not be deemed to be public, except upon a showing of good cause.

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     (Q) Records of individual test scores on professional certification and licensing

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examinations; provided, however, that a person shall have the right to review the results of his or

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her examination.

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     (R) Requests for advisory opinions until such time as the public body issues its opinion.

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     (S) Records, reports, opinions, information, and statements required to be kept confidential

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by federal law or regulation or state law or rule of court; provided, that the public body shall cite

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the law, regulation or rule relied upon in withholding any records under this exception.

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     (T) Judicial bodies are included in the definition only in respect to their administrative

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function provided that records kept pursuant to the provisions of chapter 16 of title 8 are exempt

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from the operation of this chapter.

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     (U) Library records that, by themselves or when examined with other public records, would

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reveal the identity of the library user requesting, checking out, or using any library materials.

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     (V) Printouts from TELE — TEXT devices used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing

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or speech impaired.

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     (W) All records received by the insurance division of the department of business regulation

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from other states, either directly or through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners,

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if those records are accorded confidential treatment in that state. Nothing contained in this title or

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any other provision of law shall prevent or be construed as prohibiting the commissioner of

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insurance from disclosing otherwise confidential information to the insurance department of this

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or any other state or country, at any time, so long as the agency or office receiving the records

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agrees in writing to hold it confidential in a manner consistent with the laws of this state.

 

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     (X) Credit card account numbers in the possession of state or local government are

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confidential and shall not be deemed public records.

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     (Y) Any documentary material, answers to written interrogatories, or oral testimony

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provided under any subpoena issued under § 9-1.1-6. Notwithstanding this provision and absent a

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court order to the contrary, a subpoena issued by a governmental entity to a public body or a public

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official regarding official business shall be a public record.

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     (Z) Any individually identifiable evaluations of public school employees made pursuant to

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state or federal law or regulation.

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     (AA) All documents prepared by school districts intended to be used by school districts in

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protecting the safety of their students from potential and actual threats.

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     (BB) The list of teachers terminated for good and just cause maintained by the department

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of education pursuant to § 16-13-9.

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     38-2-3. Right to inspect and copy records — Duty to maintain minutes of meetings —

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Procedures for access.

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     (a) Except as provided in § 38-2-2(4), all records maintained or kept on file by of any

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public body, whether or not those records are required by any law or by any rule or regulation, and

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regardless of physical location, shall be public records and every person or entity shall have the

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right to inspect and/or copy those records at such reasonable time as may be determined by the

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custodian thereof.

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     (b) Any reasonably segregable portion of a public record excluded by § 38-2-2(4),

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including any record deemed confidential pursuant to any other state law, shall be available for

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public inspection after the deletion of the information which is the basis of the exclusion. If an

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entire document or record is deemed non-public, the public body shall state in writing that no

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portion of the document or record contains reasonable segregable information that is releasable. In

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withholding any document or any portion of a document, the public body shall identify each

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document withheld; state the statutory exemption claimed; and explain how disclosure would

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damage the interests protected by the claimed exemption.

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     (c) All documents to be discussed at an open meeting of a public body shall be posted or

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linked with the electronic filing of the agenda submitted to the secretary of state pursuant to § 42-

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46-6(f). Notwithstanding the provisions of § 38-2-2(4), any documents reviewed, considered, or

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submitted at a public meeting of a public body shall be deemed public and made available upon

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request to any member of the public present at the meeting.

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     (d) Each public body shall make, keep, and maintain written or recorded minutes of all

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meetings.

 

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     (d)(e) Each public body shall establish written procedures regarding access to public

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records but shall not require written requests for public information available pursuant to § 42-35-

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2 or for other documents prepared for or readily available to the public.

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     These procedures must include, but need not be limited to, the identification of a designated

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public records officer or unit, how to make a public records request, and where a public record

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request should be made, and a copy of these procedures shall be posted on the public body’s website

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if such a website is maintained and shall be made otherwise readily available to the public. The

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unavailability of a designated public records officer shall not be deemed good cause for failure to

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timely comply with a request to inspect and/or copy public records pursuant to subsection (e). A

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link to the public body’s procedures shall be prominently displayed on the home page of its website,

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including a link to the appropriate webpage if the public body requires that requests be submitted

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to another public body of the state or municipality. A written request for public records need not

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be made on a form established by a public body if the request is otherwise readily identifiable as a

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request for public records. The procedures shall allow requests for public records to be submitted

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in person, by regular mail, fax and electronic mail.

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     (f) A requester’s failure to follow the written procedures established by a public body shall

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not, by itself, serve as a basis to fail to comply with a request for public records.

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     (g) If a request for records is sent to a public body other than through the designated public

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records officer or unit, the recipient of the request shall be responsible for forwarding it to the

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designated officer or unit. In such circumstances, the public body shall have an additional five (5)

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days to respond to the request, notwithstanding the provisions of § 38-2-7.

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     (e)(h) A public body receiving a request shall permit the inspection or copying within ten

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(10) business days after receiving a request. If the inspection or copying is not permitted within ten

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(10) business days, the public body shall forthwith explain in writing the need for additional time

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to comply with the request. Any such explanation must be particularized to the specific request

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made. In such cases the public body may have up to an additional twenty (20) business days to

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comply with the request if it can demonstrate with specificity that the voluminous nature of the

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request, the number of requests for records pending (in which case the number of pending requests

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shall be cited in the response), or the difficulty in searching for and retrieving or copying the

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requested records, is such that additional time is necessary to avoid imposing an undue burden on

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the public body. The response times established by this subsection and § 38-2-3.2(a) may be waived

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only with the explicit written consent of the requester.

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     (i) The unavailability of a designated public records officer shall not be deemed good cause

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for failure to timely comply with a request to inspect and/or copy public records pursuant to

 

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subsection (h) of this section.

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     (f)(j) If a public record is in active use or in storage and, therefore, not available at the time

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a person or entity requests access, the custodian shall so inform the person or entity and make an

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appointment for the person or entity to examine such records as expeditiously as they may be made

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available.

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     (g)(k) Any person or entity requesting copies of public records may elect to obtain them in

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any and all media in which the public agency is capable of providing them. Any public body which

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maintains its records in a computer storage system shall provide any data properly identified in a

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printout or other reasonable format, as requested, including a format allowing the documents to be

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searchable electronically where feasible.

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     (h)(l) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a public body to reorganize,

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consolidate, or compile data not maintained by the public body in the form requested at the time

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the request to inspect the public records was made except to the extent that such records are in an

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electronic format and the public body would not be unduly burdened in providing such data.

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     (i)(m) Nothing in this section is intended to affect the public record status of information

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merely because it is stored in a computer.

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     (j)(n) No public records shall be withheld based on the purpose for which the records are

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sought, nor shall a public body require, as a condition of fulfilling a public records request, that a

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person or entity provide a reason for the request or provide personally identifiable information

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about him/herself.

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     (k)(o) At the election of the person or entity requesting the public records, the public body

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shall provide copies of the public records electronically, by facsimile, or by mail in accordance

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with the requesting person or entity’s choice, unless complying with that preference would be

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unduly burdensome due to the volume of records requested or the costs that would be incurred. The

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person requesting delivery shall be responsible for the actual cost of delivery, if any.

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     (p) Any contractual or other agreement entered into by a public body with a third party that

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purports to keep records that are otherwise public under this chapter confidential shall be deemed

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null and void; nor shall a public body delegate to a private party the determination as to what

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information provided by that party is exempt from disclosure under this chapter.

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     38-2-3.2. Arrest logs.

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     (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 38-2-3(e), the following information reflecting an

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initial arrest of an adult and charge or charges shall be made available within forty-eight (48) hours

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after receipt of a request unless a request is made on a weekend or holiday, in which event the

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information shall be made available within seventy-two (72) hours, to the extent such information

 

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is known by the public body:

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     (1) Full name of the arrested adult;

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     (2) Home address of the arrested adult, unless doing so would identify a crime victim;

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     (3) Year of birth of the arrested adult;

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     (4) Charge or charges;

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     (5) Date of the arrest;

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     (6) Time of the arrest;

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     (7) Gender of the arrested adult;

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     (8) Race of the arrested adult; and

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     (9) Name of the arresting officer, unless doing so would identify an undercover officer.

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     (b) The provisions of this section shall apply to arrests made within five (5) days prior to

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the request attorney general shall prepare a uniform log form for public bodies to use to facilitate

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compliance with this section.

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     38-2-3.16. Compliance by agencies and public bodies.

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     Not later than January 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, the chief administrator of each

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agency and each public body shall state in writing to the attorney general that all officers and

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employees who have the authority to grant or deny persons or entities access to records under this

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chapter have been provided orientation and training regarding this chapter. The attorney general

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may, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 35 of title 42, promulgate rules and regulations

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necessary to implement the requirements of this section, and shall annually post online a list of

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those public bodies that have provided the statement required by this section, and those public

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bodies that, having submitted a statement in any previous year, have failed to do so for the current

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year.

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     38-2-4. Cost.

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     (a) Subject to the provisions of § 38-2-3, a public body must allow copies to be made or

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provide copies of public records. The cost per copied page of written documents provided to the

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public shall not exceed fifteen cents ($.15) five cents ($.05) per page for documents copyable on

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common business or legal size paper. A public body may not charge more than the reasonable

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actual cost for providing electronic records or retrieving records from storage where the public

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body is assessed a retrieval fee.

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     (b) A reasonable charge may be made for the search or retrieval of documents. Hourly costs

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for a search and retrieval shall not exceed fifteen dollars ($15.00) per hour and no costs shall be

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charged for the first hour two (2) hours of a search or retrieval. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no

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charge shall be imposed for the redaction of documents, or for the denial of a request for records.

 

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For the purposes of this subsection, multiple requests from any person or entity to the same public

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body within a thirty (30) day time period shall be considered one request.

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     (c) Copies of documents shall be provided and the search and retrieval of documents

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accomplished within a reasonable time after a request. A public body upon request, shall provide

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an estimate of the costs of a request for documents prior to providing copies.

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     (d) Upon request, the public body shall provide a detailed itemization of the costs charged

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for search and retrieval.

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     (e) A public body, the attorney general, and the court may shall reduce or waive the fees

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for costs charged for search or retrieval if it determines that requested and the information requested

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is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the

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operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the

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requester. Any denial of a request for a reduction or waiver of fees by a public body or the attorney

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general may be challenged in accordance with the provisions of § 38-2-9 and shall be reviewed de

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novo by the court.

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     38-2-7. Denial of access.

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     (a) Any denial of the right to inspect or copy records, in whole or in part provided for under

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this chapter shall be made to the person or entity requesting the right in writing giving the specific

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reasons for the denial within ten (10) business days of the request and indicating the procedures for

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appealing the denial. Except for good cause shown, any reason not specifically set forth in the

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denial shall be deemed waived by the public body.

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     (b) Failure to comply with a request to inspect or copy the public record within the ten (10)

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business day period shall be deemed to be a denial. Except that for good cause shown, this limit

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may be extended in accordance with the provisions of § 38-2-3(e) 38-2-3(h). All copying and search

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and retrieval fees shall be waived if a public body fails to produce requested records in a timely

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manner; provided, however, that the production of records shall not be deemed untimely if the

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public body is awaiting receipt of payment for costs properly charged under § 38-2-4.

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     (c) A public body that receives a request to inspect or copy records that do not exist or are

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not within its custody or control shall, in responding to the request in accordance with this chapter,

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state that it does not have or maintain the requested records.

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     38-2-9. Jurisdiction of superior court.

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     (a) Jurisdiction to hear and determine civil actions brought under this chapter is hereby

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vested in the superior court.

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     (b) The court may examine any record which is the subject of a suit in camera to determine

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whether the record or any part thereof may be withheld from public inspection under the terms of

 

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this chapter.

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     (c) Actions brought under this chapter may be advanced on the calendar upon motion of

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any party, or sua sponte by the court made in accordance with the rules of civil procedure of the

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superior court.

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     (d) The court shall impose a civil fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000) ten

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thousand dollars ($10,000) against a public body or official found to have committed a knowing

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and willful violation of this chapter, and a civil fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)

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three thousand dollars ($3,000) against a public body found to have recklessly violated this chapter

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and shall award reasonable attorney fees and costs to the prevailing plaintiff. The court may also

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impose a fine up to one hundred dollars ($100) per day for each day that records were improperly

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withheld, and may further award compensatory and punitive damages. The court shall further order

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a public body found to have wrongfully denied access to public records to provide the records at

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no cost to the prevailing party; provided, further, that in the event that the court, having found in

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favor of the defendant, finds further that the plaintiff’s case lacked a grounding in fact or in existing

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law or in good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law, the court

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may award attorney’s fees and costs to the prevailing defendant. A judgment in the plaintiff’s favor

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shall not be a prerequisite to obtaining an award of attorney’s fees and/or costs if the court

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determines that the defendant’s case lacked grounding in fact or in existing law or a good faith

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argument for extension, modification or reversal of existing law.

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     38-2-14. Information relating to settlement of legal claims.

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     Settlement agreements of any legal claims against or by a governmental entity shall be

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deemed public records.

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     38-2-15. Reported violations.

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     Every year the attorney general shall prepare a report summarizing all the complaints

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received pursuant to this chapter, which shall be submitted to the legislature and which shall include

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information as to how many complaints were found to be meritorious and the action taken by the

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attorney general in response to those complaints. The attorney general shall publish on a keyword

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searchable website the full text of all complaints and the action taken by the attorney general in

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response to those complaints.

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     SECTION 2. Section 39-21.1-17 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-21.1 entitled "911

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Emergency Telephone Number Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-21.1-17. Confidentiality of calls.

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     (a) All telephone calls and telephone call transmissions, including electronic tax messages,

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photos or videos, received pursuant to this chapter and all tapes containing records of telephone

 

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calls shall remain confidential and used only for the purpose of handling emergency calls and for

2

public safety purposes as may be needed for law enforcement, fire, medical, rescue or other

3

emergency services. The calls shall not be released to any other parties without the written consent

4

of the caller whose voice is recorded, or upon order of the court.

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     (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, calls shall be released to third parties:

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     (1) Upon good cause shown;

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     (2) Upon order of the court; or

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     (3) Upon request, to the individual placing the call; any individual who is heard on the call

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communicating information to or for the emergency responder or operator; and the subject(s) of

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the call who required emergency services or, if they are incapacitated or deceased, their next of kin.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC RECORDS -- ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS

***

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     This act would include police departments of any private educational institute and peace

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officers within the definition of "agency" or "public body" making them subject to the public

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records requests. This act would further make an initial narrative report of a police officer and any

4

reports of investigations conducted by internal affair units public records. This act would also

5

increase the sanctions upon a public official who committed a knowing and willful violation to

6

comply with a request for public records from up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) to ten thousand

7

dollars ($10,000), and a fine of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) to three thousand dollars

8

($3,000) against a public body that recklessly violates a request for public records.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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