Bill > HB1964

This bill amends the Washington state Public Records Act to clarify and modify requirements for public records requests. Specifically, the bill introduces a new provision that requires individuals requesting lists of individuals to sign a declaration under penalty of perjury stating that their request is not for commercial purposes and explaining the purpose of their request. The bill maintains existing provisions that agencies must make identifiable public records available for inspection and copying, and cannot deny requests solely because they are considered overbroad. The legislation also reinforces that agencies cannot discriminate among people making records requests and can only ask about the purpose of a request to determine if disclosure would violate certain privacy exemptions. Additionally, the bill allows agencies to deny multiple "bot requests" (automated computer-generated requests) within a 24-hour period if responding would excessively interfere with the agency's essential functions. For school district records, the bill specifies that recording requests must include a specific date or date range, and districts can only use date as a search criteria when responding to such requests.

Government Affairs

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1964&Year=2025&Initiative=false