Bill > S2389

This bill makes several changes to the Access to Public Records Act, aiming to increase transparency and accountability. It clarifies what constitutes a public record, including making certain traffic accident data and preferred license plate information publicly accessible, and specifies that police reports of incidents that do not result in an arrest, as well as final internal affairs investigation reports, are now public records. Body camera footage from police will also be accessible within 30 days of a request. The bill significantly increases the penalties for public officials who knowingly or recklessly violate the Act, raising the maximum fines for knowing violations from $2,000 to $4,000 and for reckless violations from $1,000 to $2,000. Additionally, it introduces provisions to address individuals who file frivolous requests with the intent to disrupt government operations, allowing public bodies to seek court orders to be relieved of fulfilling such requests and potentially barring repeat offenders from making future requests for a period. The bill also adjusts the timeframe for making arrest logs public from five days to thirty days after an arrest and reduces the cost per copied page of written documents from $0.15 to $0.05, while also waiving the first two hours of search and retrieval costs. Finally, it clarifies that settlement agreements for legal claims involving governmental entities are public records.

Justice

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