Bill > HB2022

This bill modifies Oklahoma's Open Records Act by expanding and clarifying provisions related to public records access and disclosure. The bill expands the definition of a "law enforcement agency" to include state and local fire marshals when investigating potential criminal law violations. It introduces new provisions allowing public bodies to redact or delete personal contact information such as home addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses from records, regardless of whether the individual is a public employee or private citizen. The bill also establishes more specific requirements for records requests, requiring that requests have "reasonable specificity" by including a general time frame, seeking identifiable records, and using sufficiently specific search terms. Additionally, public bodies can now require advance payment for record searches, copying, or redaction when estimated costs exceed $75, and may ask requestors to clarify vague or overly broad requests. The bill modifies attorney fee provisions in litigation over record access, allowing public bodies to avoid paying attorney fees if they acted in good faith, and provides more flexibility for public bodies in managing record requests while protecting the integrity of their records and essential functions. These changes aim to balance public access to information with the administrative challenges faced by government entities in responding to records requests.

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb2022&Session=2600