MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for Public Records Act

A close up of a person working on a laptop to retrieve files while sitting in a sunbeam

March 6, 2023 by Flannary Collins
Category: Open Public Meetings Act , Public Records Act

Even during the gloomy winter months, we can all applaud Sunshine Week, which celebrates open government.

A woman is upset by what she has just read on her computer

Private Lives of Public Employees: The PRA Implications of Working for the Government

February 21, 2023 by Sarah Doar
Category: Public Records Act

New public employees are often surprised by what is subject to public disclosure under Washington’s Public Records Act and should consider the possibility that their private communications on digital platforms, like email and social media, may become very public.

New Technology, Same Old Open Government Challenges

January 9, 2023 by Sarah Doar
Category: Information Technology , Open Public Meetings Act , Public Records Act

Software such as Microsoft Teams can help to facilitate communication in a workplace, but the use of such tools is tricky for governing bodies whose meetings must be open to the public and whose communications should be easily searchable if a public records request arises.

Privacy v. Security: Use of Security Cameras on Government Property

December 13, 2022 by Flannary Collins
Category: Public Records Act , Nuisance Abatement and Enforcement

While governmental use of security cameras can be a useful tool, agencies should take care to adopt a policy that outlines the precise ways in which the cameras will be used and how the recordings will be managed.

Data as Records: PRA Disclosure of Database Information

November 13, 2022 by Sarah Doar
Category: Public Records Act

Fulfilling a public records request that seeks information contained in a database can be challenging. Local government staff must understand they have an obligation to produce data within a database but must come up with a practical method to do so.

JLARC Public Records Program Reporting Deadline Coming Up Fast

May 25, 2022 by Ashley Elliott
Category: Guest Author , Public Records Act

The JLARC Public Records Program reporting deadline is July 1. This guest blog covers major findings from the 2020 report as well as answers to frequently asked questions regarding the reporting process.

OPMA/PRA Emergency Proclamation Will Expire June 1

May 2, 2022 by Steve Gross
Category: COVID-19 , Open Public Meetings Act , Public Records Act

Pandemic-related restrictions on public meetings and the processing of public records will no longer be in effect this coming June, per the newly released Proclamation 20-28.16.

Recent Developments in Washington Public Records — June 2021

June 14, 2021 by Sarah Doar
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act , New Legislation and Regulations

This blog reviews recent developments in the law that impacts the disclosure of public records.

Public Records Act Reports Due July 1, 2021

May 10, 2021 by Sarah Doar
Category: Public Records Act

Any public agency that spends over $100,000 in activities associated with managing public records and responding to public records requests will need to file a report on these activities with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee by July 1, 2021.

Allegations and the PRA: Navigating the Disclosure of Internal Investigations

October 19, 2020 by Sarah Doar
Category: Public Records Act

This blog post looks at questions that might arise when a request is made for a public record pertaining to the internal investigation of an employee.

New Privacy in Public Employment

June 4, 2020 by Sarah Doar
Category: Public Records Act , New Legislation and Regulations

This blog post reviews SSHB 1888, which creates new public records exemptions for certain information in personnel and public employment records and goes into effect on June 11.

Public Records Considerations in the Era of Telecommuting

April 27, 2020 by Sarah Doar
Category: Public Records Act , Operating Policies

This blog post looks at how an agency can exercise some control over its public records when these may be located — or taken — outside the workplace.

The PRA and Third-Party Notice During Emergency Court Shutdowns

March 31, 2020 by Morgan Damerow
Category: Guest Author , COVID-19 , Public Records Act

This blog post offers public agencies guidance on how to provide third-party notification for public records requests during a period when local superior courts have shut down or drastically cut back on hours.

New Ruling Provides Guidance on “Specific Intelligence”

February 24, 2020 by Steve Gross
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

This blog discusses the recent ruling in West v. City of Tacoma, which addresses what an agency needs to prove when it claims the Public Records Act’s exemption for “specific intelligence information."

Understanding When It’s Over: Administrative Procedures and the PRA

January 13, 2020 by Oskar Rey
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

This blog post summarizes Kilduff v. San Juan County and suggests best practices for agency administrative procedures concerning public records searches.

Elected Officials Guide — What’s Personal and What’s Public?

January 9, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Administrative and Elected Officials , Open Public Meetings Act , Public Records Act

This blog covers questions about the use of social media and cell phones with regards to privacy and public records and focuses on their use from the perspective of an elected official.

Supreme Court Rules Individual State Legislators Are Subject to the PRA

December 24, 2019 by Flannary Collins
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

This blog post provides an overview of the recent Washington Supreme Court ruling addressing whether individual state legislators are subject to the Public Records Act.

New Developments in PRA Land

December 9, 2019 by Flannary Collins
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

This blog post provides an overview of two recent Washington State Supreme Court cases that involved the Public Records Act and offers some key takeaways for local governments to consider.

Records Requests from Agency Elected Officials

October 24, 2019 by Oskar Rey
Category: Public Records Act

What happens if your elected official files a public records request with your local government? This blog post looks at how to handle what should be a simple request, but often isn't due to extenuating circumstances.

Please Stop: Handling Public Requests

October 15, 2019 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Public Records Act

Municipal employees sometimes must deal with a variety of requests, and some can be quite challenging. This article looks at what local governments can and cannot broadly do in terms of responding to large public records requests and complaints.

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