Public Records Requests May be Answered by Posting to the Internet
In order to preserve taxpayer resources the legislature has revised the Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW, to allow agencies to refer records requesters to documents available on its website. Under current law, an agency that receives a public records request must respond within five days by either (1) providing the requested records, (2) denying the request, or (3) providing the requester with a reasonable time estimate for fulfilling his or her request. Effective June 10, SB 6367 provides agencies with a fourth option. If the record is available on the agency website, then the agency may provide a link to the specific records requested. However, if the requester notifies the agency the agency that he or she cannot access the records via the internet, then the agency must provide copies to the requester or allow the requester to view copies using an agency computer. A copy of the session law can be found here.
