Legislative Update on 2026 Public Records Bills

REGISTER

Registration closes on Wednesday, July 29 at 5 PM. All registrants will also receive a link to view the webinar recording.

Webinar Overview

Since the Public Records Act (PRA) was adopted by Washington voters in 1972, the state legislature has amended the statute and other records statutes many times, especially in the last several years. Public records practitioners must stay on top of these statutory changes to remain in compliance with the law, particularly in the face of significant technological advances that have considerably changed the number, size, and complexity of the records that local governments across Washington must manage and disclose.

Educational Objectives

This webinar will discuss the most significant public records bills passed during the 2026 state legislative session and other PRA legal trends. Time will also be set aside for a general question and answer session with the presenters. 

Who Should Attend?

• Attorneys and legal staff of local governments, as well as private attorneys with local government clients, elected officials, public record officers (PRO) and other staff who work with public records requests.

Presenters

• Michael Nigrey, Washington State Attorney General’s Office (AGO). Michael is the newest member of the Washington State Attorney General’s Local Government Consultation Program team. He previously served in legal roles across State and local government, including as an Assistant Attorney General to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Vancouver, and a Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Kittitas County, Washington providing representation and advice on public records compliance and a variety of other legal issues. He joined the AGO in 2022 and is a 2004 graduate from Seattle University School of Law.
• Sarah Doar, Legal Consultant, MRSC. Sarah joined MRSC in September 2018, after serving as Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Island County. At MRSC, Sarah provides guidance and training to municipalities on many aspects of government, including compliance with public records and open meeting laws, land use issues, and environmental law.   

Credits

This training is eligible for:

• 1.0 hour of CLE credit from the Washington State Bar Association (pending approval).
• 1.0 hour category C credit for the Washington Association of Public Records Officers (WAPRO) (pending approval).