Wash. Admin. Code § 208-12-075 - Processing public records requests
(1)
Order of processing
requests. The department will process requests in the order that allows
requests to be fulfilled in the most efficient manner feasible.
(2)
Acknowledging receipt of a
request. The department will acknowledge a request for public records
within five business days after the department receives the request, by:
(a) Making the requested records available
for inspection or copying or by providing copies of the records, including:
(i) If records are available on the
department's web site, by providing an internet address and link on the web
site to specific records requested;
(ii) If copies are requested and all
applicable costs and deposits, if any, are paid by the requestor or other terms
of payment are agreed upon, sending the copies to the requestor;
(b) Acknowledging receipt of the
request and providing a reasonable estimate of when records or an installment
of records will be available (the public records officer or designee may revise
the estimate of when records will be available); or
(c) Acknowledging receipt of the request and
asking the requestor to provide clarification for a request that is unclear,
and providing, to the greatest extent possible, a reasonable estimate of time
the department will require to respond to the request if it is not clarified;
(i) Such clarification may be requested and
provided by telephone, and memorialized in writing;
(ii) If the requestor fails to respond to a
request for clarification and the entire request is unclear, the department
need not respond to the request; or
(d) Providing a written statement of denial
of the request.
(3)
If no response is received. If the requestor does not receive an
acknowledgment of the records request within five business days, the requestor
should contact the public records officer to confirm that the department
received the request.
(4)
Records exempt from disclosure. If a record or portion of a record
is exempt from disclosure pursuant to chapter 42.56 RCW or as otherwise
provided by law, the department may withhold or redact such record. If records
are withheld or redacted, the department will, in writing, state the specific
exemption and provide a brief explanation of why the record or portion of the
record is being withheld or redacted.
(5)
Providing copies of records.
Copies may be provided in either hard copy or electronic format, as requested.
The cost for copies is set forth in WAC
208-12-090, and costs
must be paid to the department prior to delivery of copies. Copies may be
emailed or mailed to the requestor, may be made available to the requestor for
pickup at the department's administrative office, or may be made available via
a file sharing service.
(6)
Records may be provided in installments. When a requestor seeks a
large volume of records or collection and review of the records will be
resource intensive, the public records officer or designee may provide copies
or access for inspection of records in installments. Costs for each installment
must be paid prior to delivery of the installment.
(7)
Closing withdrawn or abandoned
requests. The public records officer or designee may close a request
when: The request is withdrawn by the requestor; the requestor fails to remit
fees or a deposit when due, pursuant to WAC
208-12-090(8);
the requestor fails to inspect records or retrieve copies of records within
thirty days of notice that the records are available for inspection or
retrieval; or the requestor fails to provide requested clarification within
thirty days and the entirety of the request is unclear. The requestor will be
notified in writing that the request has been closed. If a requestor seeks to
reopen a closed request, the request may be opened as a new request.
(8)
Bot requests. The department
may deny a "bot" request, which is one of multiple requests from a requestor to
the department within a twenty-four-hour period, if the request causes
excessive interference with other essential department functions.
RCW
42.56.080(3). A "bot"
request means a records request that the department reasonably believes was
automatically generated by a computer program or script.
(9)
Protecting the rights of
others. If the requested records contain information that may affect the
rights of others, and which may be exempt from disclosure, the public records
officer or designee may, prior to providing the records, give notice to such
others whose rights may be affected by the disclosure.
Notes
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