The bill introduces several modifications to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) to enhance transparency and streamline the public records request process. Key changes include:
Exemption for Assistive Communication Records: Excludes from the definition of a public record any written document or electronic record produced by a device or application used to assist individuals with disabilities or language barriers in communication, provided these records are created solely to facilitate communication in lieu of verbal interaction.
Extended Response Time: Increases the standard response time for public records requests from 3 to 5 working days. If extenuating circumstances exist, the response period can be extended by up to 10 additional days.
Public Posting of Policies: Mandates that public entities post any rules or policies adopted under CORA, including records retention policies, and provide information on how the public can make records requests.
Handling of Records in Exclusive Custody: If requested records are solely in the custody of an individual not scheduled to work during the response period, the custodian must provide all other available responsive records within the standard response time and notify the requester of when the exclusive custodian will be available.
Clarification on Commercial Requests: Allows custodians to determine if a request is made for direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain. If so, the custodian has a 30-day response period and may charge the requester for the reasonable cost of directly responding to the request, notwithstanding the first hour of research and retrieval being free.
Payment Methods for Fees: Requires custodians to allow requesters to pay any fees or deposits associated with records requests using credit cards or electronic payments, provided the public entity permits such payments for other services or products.
Consolidation of Multiple Requests: Enables custodians to treat multiple CORA requests made by the same person within 14 calendar days for information pertaining to similar content as a single request for the purpose of calculating fees for research and retrieval.
These amendments aim to balance the public's right to access information with the operational needs of public entities, ensuring a more efficient and transparent records request process.
Summary
The bill makes the following changes to the Colorado Open
Records Act (CORA):
Excludes from the definition of a public record a written document or electronic record that is produced by a device or application that is used to assist an individual with a disability or individuals with a language barrier to facilitate communication if the written document or electronic record has been produced to facilitate communication in lieu of verbal communication;
Changes the reasonable time to respond to a CORA request, except for requests from a mass medium or a newsperson, from 3 working days to 5 working days and changes the extension of time for the response period if extenuating circumstances exist from not exceeding 7 additional days to not exceeding 10 additional days;
Adds an extenuating circumstance that allows for an extension of the response period when the custodian is not scheduled to work within the response period;
Requires public entities to post any rules or policies adopted pursuant to CORA, including, if the public entity has one, the public entity's records retention policy, and to post information for members of the public regarding how to make a public records request;
If public records are in the sole and exclusive custody and control of someone who is not scheduled to work within the response period, requires a custodian to provide all other available responsive public records within the response period and notify the requester of the earliest date on which the person is expected to be available or that the person is not expected to return to work. The requester may make a subsequent request for additional responsive records, if any, on or after the date the custodian provides.
Allows a custodian, subject to certain exceptions, to determine that a request is made for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain, requires the custodian to provide written notice of the determination to the requester, allows the custodian a 30-day response period for such a request, permits the requester to submit a signed statement affirming that the request is not for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain which the custodian must consider in making their determination, permits the requester to appeal the determination that the request is made for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain to the district court, and allows a custodian to charge the requester for the reasonable cost of directly responding to the request notwithstanding the allowance for the first hour of research and retrieval to otherwise be free of charge and notwithstanding the statutory cap on fees, which otherwise would apply;
In addition to the prohibition on disclosing public elementary or secondary school students' addresses and telephone numbers, prohibits disclosure of any other information of such a student that could be used by a person to directly contact, address, or send a message to the student through any means or method;
Clarifies that if a custodian imposes any requirements concerning the prepayment of fees or the payment of fees in connection with a request for inspection of public records, the requirements must be in accordance with the custodian's adopted rules or written policies and must not be inconsistent with the provisions of CORA;
Allows a requester to ask a custodian for a reasonable break-down of costs that comprises the fee charged for the research and retrieval of the requested public records;
Modifies the requirement that, if a custodian of records for a public entity allows members of the public to pay for any other service or product provided by the custodian with a credit card or electronic payment, then the custodian must allow a requester of a public record to pay any fee or deposit associated with the request with a credit card or electronic payment, to instead require that the custodian allow for payment in this manner if the public entity allows members of the public to pay for any other service or product provided by the public entity; and
Allows a custodian to treat a CORA request made within 14 calendar days of another CORA request for information pertaining to facially similar content made by the same person as one request for purposes of calculating the fee that the custodian may charge the requester for research and retrieval of responsive public records.