Transparency

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Below are all of the transparency laws that match your search criteria. Many include a See related provisions prompt which searches our database for laws that may pertain to your result.

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State Statute Description/Statute Name Statutory language Type of obligation Actor
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New Jersey N.J. Stat. Ann. § 47:1A-8 Common law right of access
Nothing contained in [the state open record law], as amended and supplemented, shall be construed as limiting the common law right of access to a government record, including criminal investigatory
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records of a law enforcement agency.
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New Jersey N.J. Stat. Ann. § 47:1A-1 Legislative findings and declarations
Government records shall be readily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination by the citizens of this State, with certain exceptions, for the protection of the public interest, and any limitations
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on the right of access accorded by P.L.1963, c. 73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) as amended and supplemented, shall be construed in favor of the public's right of access;
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New Jersey N.J. Stat. Ann. § 47:1A-5 custodian of government records - obligations The custodian of a government record shall permit the record to be inspected, examined, and copied by any person during regular business hours; Obligation to respond to public records requests All
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Louisiana La. Stat. Ann. § 44:31 Public Records Requests
Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter or as otherwise specifically provided by law, and in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, any person of the age of majority
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may inspect, copy, or reproduce any public record.
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Louisiana La. Stat. Ann. § 44:32 Reasonable fees
For all public records, except public records of state agencies, it shall be the duty of the custodian of such public records to provide copies to persons so requesting. The
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custodian may establish and collect reasonable fees for making copies of public records
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Louisiana La. Stat. Ann. § 44:31.1 Exception to general duty to respond to public record requests
For the purposes of this Chapter, person [to whom a custodian must provide records] does not include an individual in custody after sentence following a felony conviction who has exhausted
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his appellate remedies when the request for public records is not limited to grounds upon which the individual could file for post conviction relief under Code of Criminal Procedure Article 930.3. Notwithstanding the provisions contained in R.S. 44:32, the custodian may make an inquiry of any individual who applies for a public record to determine if such individual is in custody after sentence following a felony conviction who has exhausted his appellate remedies and the custodian may make any inquiry necessary to determine if the request of any such individual in custody for a felony conviction is limited to grounds upon which such individual may file for post conviction relief.
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Mississippi Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-5(1)(a) Public access to records; redaction; maximum waiting period; explanation of delay; denials
Except as otherwise provided by Sections 25-61-9 and 25-61-11, all public records are hereby declared to be public property, and any person shall have the right to inspect, copy or mechanically reproduce or
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obtain a reproduction of any public record of a public body in accordance with reasonable written procedures adopted by the public body concerning the cost, time, place and method of access, and public notice of the procedures shall be given by the public body, or, if a public body has not adopted written procedures, the right to inspect, copy or mechanically reproduce or obtain a reproduction of a public record of the public body shall be provided within one (1) working day after a written request for a public record is made. No public body shall adopt procedures which will authorize the public body to produce or deny production of a public record later than seven (7) working days from the date of the receipt of the request for the production of the record.
Obligation to respond to public records requests All courts
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South Carolina S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30 Right to inspect or copy public records; fees; notification as to public availability of records; presumption upon failure to give notice; records to be available when requestor appears in person
Each public body, upon written request for records made under this chapter, shall within fifteen days (excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) of the receipt of any such request
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notify the person making such request of its determination and the reasons therefor. Such a determination shall constitute the final opinion of the public body as to the public availability of the requested public record and, if the request is granted, the record must be furnished or made available for inspection or copying. If written notification of the determination of the public body as to the availability of the requested public record is neither mailed nor personally delivered to the person requesting the document within the fifteen days allowed herein, the request must be considered approved.
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Kansas Kan. Stat. Ann. § 45-218 nspection of records; request; response; refusal, when; fees
All public records shall be open for inspection by any person, except as otherwise provided by this act, and suitable facilities shall be made available by each public agency for this purpose. No
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person shall removal [remove] original copies of public records from the office of any public agency without the written permission of the custodian of the record.
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Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 2-6-1003 Access to public information--safety and security exceptions--Montana historical society exception
A public officer may withhold from public scrutiny information relating to individual or public safety or the security of public facilities, including public schools, jails, correctional facilities, private correctional facilities,
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and prisons, if release of the information jeopardizes the safety of facility personnel, the public, students in a public school, or inmates of a facility. A public officer may not withhold from public scrutiny any more information than is required to protect individual or public safety or the security of public facilities.
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Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 2-6-1006 Public information requests--fees
(1) A person may request public information from a public agency. A public agency shall make the means of requesting public information accessible to all persons. (2) Upon receiving a request
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for public information, a public agency shall respond in a timely manner to the requesting person by: (a) making the public information maintained by the public agency available for inspection and copying by the requesting person; or (b) providing the requesting person with an estimate of the time it will take to fulfill the request if the public information cannot be readily identified and gathered and any fees that may be charged pursuant to subsection (3). (3) A public agency may charge a fee for fulfilling a public information request. Except where a fee is otherwise provided for by law, the fee may not exceed the actual costs directly incident to fulfilling the request in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. The fee must be documented. The fee may include the time required to gather public information. The public agency may require the requesting person to pay the estimated fee prior to identifying and gathering the requested public information. (4) A public agency is not required to alter or customize public information to provide it in a form specified to meet the needs of the requesting person. (5) If a public agency agrees to a request to customize a records request response, the costs of the customization may be included in the fees charged by the agency. (6)(a) The secretary of state is authorized to charge fees under this section. The fees must be set and deposited in accordance with 2-15-405. The fees must be collected in advance. (b) The secretary of state may not charge a fee to a member of the legislature or public officer for any search relative to matters pertaining to the duties of the member's office or for a certified copy of any law or resolution passed by the legislature relative to the member's official duties.
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Utah Utah R. J. Admin. 4-202.03 Records Access (1) Any person may access a public court record. Obligation to respond to public records requests All courts
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Wisconsin Wis. Stat. § 19.35(1)(a); Wis. Stat. § 19.35(1)(am) Access to records; fees
(1) RIGHT TO INSPECTION. (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to inspect any record. Substantive common law principles construing the right to inspect, copy
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or receive copies of records shall remain in effect. The exemptions to the requirement of a governmental body to meet in open session under s. 19.85 are indicative of public policy, but may be used as grounds for denying public access to a record only if the authority or legal custodian under s. 19.33 makes a specific demonstration that there is a need to restrict public access at the time that the request to inspect or copy the record is made. (am) In addition to any right under par. (a), any requester who is an individual or person authorized by the individual has a right to inspect any personally identifiable information pertaining to the individual in a record containing personally identifiable information that is maintained by an authority and to make or receive a copy of any such information. The right to inspect or copy information in a record under this paragraph does not apply to any of the following: 1. Any record containing personally identifiable information that is collected or maintained in connection with a complaint, investigation or other circumstances that may lead to an enforcement action, administrative proceeding, arbitration proceeding or court proceeding, or any such record that is collected or maintained in connection with such an action or proceeding. 2. Any record containing personally identifiable information that, if disclosed, would do any of the following: a. Endanger an individual’s life or safety. b. Identify a confidential informant. c. Endanger the security, including the security of the population or staff, of any state prison under s. 302.01, jail, as defined in s. 165.85 (2) (bg), juvenile correctional facility, as defined in s. 938.02 (10p), secured residential care center for children and youth, as defined in s. 938.02 (15g), mental health institute, as defined in s. 51.01 (12), center for the developmentally disabled, as defined in s. 51.01 (3), or facility, specified under s. 980.065, for the institutional care of sexually violent persons. d. Compromise the rehabilitation of a person in the custody of the department of corrections or detained in a jail or facility identified in subd. 2. c. 2m. The actual address, as defined in s. 165.68 (1) (b), of a participant in the program established in s. 165.68.
Obligation to respond to public records requests All courts
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Arizona Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 39-121 Inspection of public records

Public records and other matters in the custody of any officer shall be open to inspection by any person at all times during office hours.

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Arkansas Ark. Code Ann. § 14-14-110(a) Public Records

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, all records and other written materials in the possession of a local government shall be available for inspection and copying by any person

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during normal office hours.

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California Cal. Gov. Code § 6253(a)-(b) Inspection of Public Records: Time for inspection of public records; “Unusual circumstances”; Posting of public record on Web site

(a) Public records are open to inspection at all times during the office hours of the state or local agency and every person has a right to inspect any public

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record, except as hereafter provided. Any reasonably segregable portion of a record shall be available for inspection by any person requesting the record after deletion of the portions that are exempted by law.(b) Except with respect to public records exempt from disclosure by express provisions of law, each state or local agency, upon a request for a copy of records that reasonably describes an identifiable record or records, shall make the records promptly available to any person upon payment of fees covering direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee if applicable. Upon request, an exact copy shall be provided unless impracticable to do so.

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Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-32-106 Fee Bill and Application of Fees

Any person in interest in any cause is entitled to a certified bill of costs or fees specifically itemized. All fees collected by any clerk or judge shall be paid

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over to the state treasurer as provided by law, except as provided in section 30-1-112, C.R.S. No clerk of any court of record shall certify a record to the supreme court or to any other court until he collects all clerk's costs and fees then due and payable from the person ordering the record, unless otherwise ordered by the court in which the record reposes or by the court to which the cause was transferred or appealed, or from which appellate review as provided by law and the Colorado appellate rules may issue.

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Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-32-107 Fee Book a Public Record

The fee book to be kept by each clerk is a public record and subject to public inspection as are all other records of his office, except those specifically excluded

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by statute or order of court.

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Georgia Ga. Code Ann. § 15-13-31 Receipt For Fees To Be Given; Penalty

Every public official mentioned in Code Section 15-13-30, his deputy, or his agent shall, when required, give a statement of the fees demanded and a receipt for the same to

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any person paying any lawful or pretended fees of office, on pain of forfeiting $10.00 for every such neglect or refusal, to be demanded in court within 12 months and recovered by the person paying the fees and making the demand.

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Maine Me. Rev. Stat. tit 1 §408-A Public records available for inspection and copying

Except as otherwise provided by statute, a person has the right to inspect and copy any public record in accordance with this section within a reasonable time of making the

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request to inspect or copy the public record.

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