Bill > S0006

This bill amends South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act to modify the timeline and process for public records requests. Specifically, the bill reduces the response time for public bodies from ten to five days when receiving a written request for records. The bill clarifies that if a public body cannot provide the records within five days, they must notify the requester and can petition the appropriate court for additional time to respond, particularly when the request involves an extraordinary volume of records or requires an extensive search. The bill also introduces a new provision stating that a failure to respond to a records request will be considered a denial and a violation of the law. Additionally, the bill maintains existing provisions about fees, which should not exceed the actual cost of searching, retrieving, and redacting records, and specifies that public bodies are not required to create new records that do not already exist. The legislation aims to balance the public's right to access government information with the practical constraints faced by public bodies in fulfilling records requests.

Justice

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=6&session=126&summary=B