Westerly Democrat sponsors bill that would increase cost of public records requests
Sunshine illuminates the Independent Man statue atop the Rhode Island State House on Jan. 7, 2025. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
The cost of public records requests in Rhode Island could rise under a bill being considered in the state's House of Representatives.
Legislation introduced last month by Rep. Samuel Azzinaro, a Westerly Democrat, would increase the hourly fee from $15 to $25 for public bodies to search and retrieve public documents under the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), Rhode Island's public records law. Documents would remain free for the first hour of a search.
Officials would also be allowed to refuse future requests if someone hasn't paid for prior ones.
Azzinaro said he introduced the bill at the request of Westerly's town clerk, who he said has spent a lot of time gathering records, only for the person who requested them not to show up.
'Now they won't get a second one until they pay for the first one,' Azzinaro said Monday during Sunshine Week, which continues through Saturday, March 22. 'That's a lot of wasted time.'
The third week in March is a time when journalists and open records advocates call attention to the right of the public to access government records.
Similar legislation was filed by Azzinaro in 2024, but did not make it out of committee.
Azzinaro's bill is at odds with many fellow Democrats who want to reduce costs for records requests made in the name of public interest, but their proposals have been shot down by Gov. Dan McKee and other state department leaders.
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi has also expressed reservations over Azzinaro's proposal.
'I have real concerns about charging additional money for public records' requests,' Shekarchi said in a statement. 'This bill will go through the normal legislative process and a public committee hearing will be scheduled.'
Azzinaro said he understands concerns over raising fees, but reiterated that public employees put in a lot of effort to collect documents that may go unused. Fees could still be waived at the discretion of a town clerk or state APRA team, he added.
Azzinaro's bill was referred to the House Committee on Finance where it has yet to be scheduled for a hearing.
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