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Posts for Public Records Act

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

June 2, 2025  by  Sarah Doar ,  Steve Gross ,  Steve Hawley ,  Leah LaCivita ,  Maria Tobin
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 timely 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

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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Worker reading a file stands in front of stacked file boxes.

Tackling the Big Ones: Strategies for Broad Records Requests

June 20, 2023  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Public Records Act

Big public records requests can put a strain on agency resources, but records staff can put a few practices in place to help the process become more manageable.

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An hourglass filled with sand sits in front of a calendar

JLARC Public Records Reporting Deadline 7/1

June 12, 2023  by  Geneva Johnston
Category:  Guest Author ,  Public Records Act

Many local governments will be reporting public records request data from 2022 to the JLARC Public Records Reporting System. Learn answers to frequently asked questions regarding the reporting process before the July 1 reporting deadline.

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

It’s Sunshine Week Somewhere

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. 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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