2025 -- H 5457
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LC000043
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC RECORDS -- ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS
Introduced By: Representatives Azzinaro, Finkelman, Fellela, Serpa, McNamara,
Kennedy, and Hull
Date Introduced: February 12, 2025
Referred To: House State Government & Elections
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 38-2-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 38-2 entitled "Access to Public 1
Records" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
38-2-4. Cost. 3
(a) Subject to the provisions of § 38-2-3, a public body must allow copies to be made or 4
provide copies of public records. The cost per copied page of written documents provided to the 5
public shall not exceed fifteen cents ($.15) per page for documents copyable on common business 6
or legal-size paper. A public body may not charge more than the reasonable actual cost for 7
providing electronic records or retrieving records from storage where the public body is assessed a 8
retrieval fee. 9
(b) A reasonable charge may be made for the search or retrieval of documents. Hourly costs 10
for a search and retrieval shall not exceed fifteen dollars ($15.00) twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per 11
hour and no costs shall be charged for the first hour of a search or retrieval. For the purposes of this 12
subsection, multiple requests from any person or entity to the same public body within a thirty (30) 13
day time period shall be considered one request. 14
(c) Copies of documents shall be provided and the search and retrieval of documents 15
accomplished within a reasonable time after a request. A public body upon request, shall provide 16
an estimate of the costs of a request for documents prior to providing copies. 17
(d) Upon request, the public body shall provide a detailed itemization of the costs charged 18
for search and retrieval. 19
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(e) A court may reduce or waive the fees for costs charged for search or retrieval if it 1
determines that the information requested is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute 2
significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not 3
primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. 4
(f) Any person requesting a document under § 38-2-3 shall pay any outstanding balance 5
owed for prior records requests before a new request will be processed. 6
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 7
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC RECORDS -- ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS
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This act would allow a reasonable charge not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) to be 1
charged for the search or retrieval of documents. This act would also require a member of the public 2
to pay any outstanding balances due and owing for previous requests before being provided copies 3
of records and documents on a new request from law enforcement agencies. 4
This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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