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Posts for Public Records Act

Essential Records: Washington’s Blueprint for Government Continuity

March 30, 2026  by  Leah LaCivita
Category:  Emergency Management ,  Public Records Act

When disaster strikes, it is important for a local government to know how to respond as well as to resume critical operations safely and efficiently. Essential records can help in disaster response as well as recovery, but they must be identified and properly protected.

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First Amendment Audits Explained: Common Questions and Agency Guidance

February 23, 2026  by  Harry Boesche
Category:  Public Records Act ,  Operating Policies

First Amendment audits, and the aggressive tactics auditors use, can often leave public agency staff and elected officials confused or frightened. What are an agency’s obligations to preserve the auditor’s First Amendment rights while also keeping staff and facilities safe?

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PRA 2025 – A Year in Flux

January 12, 2026  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Public Records Act

For anyone who follows public records news, here is a round-up of 2025 topics that raised a lot of questions, some of which might be addressed in 2026—including artificial intelligence, a model rules update, and whether FLOCK license plate reader data is a public record.

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JLARC Reports on Domestic Violence PRA Exemption; AG Proposes PRA Model Rule Amendments

October 6, 2025  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Public Records Act

JLARC reports on the public records exemption added in 2023 to protect the identities of public employees or their dependents who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, stalking, or harassment. Plus, the AG seeks comments on proposed changes regarding timely responses.

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Legal Requirements for Hosting Government Open Houses or Coffee Chats

August 25, 2025  by  Julie Nicoll
Category:  Gift of Public Funds ,  Open Public Meetings Act ,  Public Records Act ,  Public Participation

Local governments should ensure open houses follow public meeting laws, agency policies, and rules on food, space use, and public spending.

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2025 New Legislation Impacting Employment-Related Public Records

July 21, 2025  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Administration and Management ,  Public Records Act ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Two new public records-related bills clarify the process for employee access to their own employment records and add exemptions to protect employee-identifying information in records related to investigations of unfair employment discrimination and harassment.

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Checking the Trash: Catching Public Records Requests Sent to Junk Email Folders

June 2, 2025  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Public Records Act

If a records request gets lost in the junk email folder, an agency might not respond in a timely manner to the request, potentially leading to a PRA lawsuit. These are real fears for an agency, but steps can be taken to make sure emailed requests are not lost or misdirected.

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Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Agency Obligations Regarding Constitutional PRA Exemptions

March 20, 2025  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Public Records Act

An appeals court decision originally indicated that a public agency has an obligation to assert and defend a third-party’s constitutional rights that may exist outside of the PRA. A recent state supreme court decision reversed this stance and clarified the burdens of proof.

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Alert to Records Staff: Significant Update to the Local Government Common Records (CORE) Retention Schedule

December 13, 2024  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Public Records Act

The State Archives recently published an update to the Local Government Common Records Retention Schedule (CORE), the first major revision in nearly eight years. Records management staff should review these changes to determine if they need to update their retention processes.

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Feedback Needed on Proposed Changes to the Public Records Act Model Rules

December 4, 2024  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Public Records Act

Washington news media have suggested proposed amendments to the model rules on public disclosure, rules that help local and state agencies meet their obligations under the Public Records Act. The state is seeking feedback on these proposed changes by January 8, 2025.

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man reviews judicial records in front of a computer

I’m Not Judging You: Handling Public Records Requests Related to the Courts

October 16, 2024  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Public Records Act

Requests for public records related to a court sometimes make their way to a city or county that has a relationship with that court. Is the city or county obligated to respond to such requests under the Public Records Act, and if so, how should they proceed?

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Public Records Puzzles: When the Request Is Coming from Inside the House!

October 7, 2024  by  Steve Gross
Category:  Public Records Act

Elected officials and staff from local governments need agency records to do their jobs, but sometimes they want them for personal reasons. How can agencies manage both of these types of requests under the Public Records Act and other state laws?

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Public Records Officers, Check Your Email – JLARC Needs Your Help!

August 19, 2024  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Public Records Act

The Joint Legislative and Research Committee (JLARC) is requesting feedback from Public Records Officers (PROs) on a new exemption to the Public Records Act (PRA) by September 3, 2024. 

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Concept of use of Artificial Intelligence for work

Open the Pod Bay Doors: Navigating the Intersection of Public Records and Generative AI

July 29, 2024  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Information Technology ,  Public Records Act ,  Artificial Intelligence

Local government employees and elected officials are increasingly exploring the use of generative AI in their day-to-day duties. The results will likely be treated as public records, but what about prompts people use to generate that result?

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Hand holding stopwatch against a background of shelves filled with files

Starting the Clock: Washington’s Supreme Court Gives New Guidance on Closing Records Requests

May 13, 2024  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Public Records Act

A new state supreme court decision provides the clearest guidance yet on how a public agency should inform members of the public that a public records request is considered closed by the agency.

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Two people in a meeting play with cell phones instead of paying attention to the meeting

Advice for Taking Electronic Gadgets to Meetings: Use Them, Don’t Abuse Them!

April 22, 2024  by  Steve Gross
Category:  Open Public Meetings Act ,  Public Records Act ,  Legislative Body

Using electronic devices during meetings can help you manage the meeting efficiently and reduce paperwork, but they also have the potential to create additional public records and their use could violate Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act.

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Window cleaner using a squeegee to wash a window

Sunshine Week — It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

March 11, 2024  by  Steve Gross
Category:  Open Public Meetings Act ,  Public Records Act

During National Sunshine Week, often the focus is on what government agencies are doing wrong when it comes to transparency. While there is always room for improvement, it’s good to recognize the work that local governments are doing right to maintain and improve transparency.

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person on laptop using emojis

Emojis in Public Agency Communication: Miscommunications and Records Ramifications 😱

February 12, 2024  by  Sarah Doar ,  Alicia Bones
Category:  Open Public Meetings Act ,  Public Records Act

Emojis may make it easy to respond quickly to professional correspondence, but public agency staff and elected officials should think twice before giving a thumbs up to that email or Teams post.

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An open laptop with an image of a lock hovering above the keyboard

2023 Public Records Legislative Changes — School and Election Records

October 2, 2023  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Public Records Act ,  New Legislation and Regulations

County election officials and school districts will be pleased to learn about new public records changes: one exempts voted ballots and another exempts the personal information of students in any records pertaining to the student.

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A bunch of file folders with a lock on one folder

New PRA Exemption Available to Protect Employee Safety

September 25, 2023  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Public Records Act

New in 2023, ESHB 1533 amends the Public Records Act to exempt from disclosure certain information on employees (and dependents) who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, or stalking or who are enrolled in the state's Address Confidentiality Program.

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