Public Records and Meetings Manual
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STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S PUBLIC RECORDS AND MEETINGS MANUAL “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both.” James Madison (1822) ELLEN F. ROSENBLUM Attorney General June 2019 OREGON ATTORNEY GENERAL’S PUBLIC RECORDS AND MEETINGS MANUAL 2019 STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S PUBLIC RECORDS AND MEETINGS MANUAL ELLEN F. ROSENBLUM Attorney General June 2019 © 2019 State of Oregon acting by and through its Department of Justice All rights reserved Additional copies may be purchased from: Publications Section Department of Justice 1162 Court Street N.E. Salem, Oregon 97301-4096 For current price, please call: (503) 378-2992 TTY: (800) 735-2900 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. x PREFACE ....................................................................................................... xiii RENUMBERING OF PUBLIC RECORDS LAW ...................................... xiv I. PUBLIC RECORDS ................................................................................... 1 A. WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO INSPECT PUBLIC RECORDS? ................................... 1 B. WHO IS SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW? ......................................... 2 1. Public Bodies ............................................................................................ 2 2. Private Bodies ........................................................................................... 3 C. WHAT RECORDS ARE COVERED BY THE LAW? ............................................. 6 1. Writing ...................................................................................................... 6 2. Prepared, Owned, Used, or Retained ........................................................ 8 D. HOW CAN A PERSON INSPECT OR OBTAIN PUBLIC RECORDS? ....................... 9 1. Making a Request ...................................................................................... 9 2. Records Custodian .................................................................................. 11 3. Acknowledging a Request ....................................................................... 11 4. Completing the Response to a Request ................................................... 12 a. The 15 Business-Day Deadline .................................................... 13 b. Exceptions to the Deadlines ......................................................... 15 c. Failing to Complete a Timely Response ....................................... 16 5. Inspecting Records versus Obtaining Copies .......................................... 16 a. Inspecting Records ....................................................................... 17 b. Copying Records .......................................................................... 18 6. Protective Rules ...................................................................................... 19 7. Fees ......................................................................................................... 20 a. Fee Schedules ............................................................................... 21 b. Waiving or Reducing Fees ........................................................... 22 (1) Public Interest Test ................................................................... 23 (2) Decision on Fee Waiver or Reduction...................................... 24 8. Consulting with Legal Counsel ............................................................... 26 9. Retaining and Destroying Public Records ............................................... 26 10. Oregon Transparency Website ............................................................ 28 E. HOW DOES A PUBLIC BODY DETERMINE IF RECORDS ARE EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE? .............................................................................................. 29 1. The Nature of the Exemptions ................................................................ 29 2. Conditional and Unconditional Exemptions from Disclosure. ................ 31 3. The Public Interest in Disclosure ............................................................ 32 4. Separating Exempt and Nonexempt Material.......................................... 34 5. Waiving an Exemption ............................................................................ 35 6. Records More than 25 Years Old ............................................................ 36 7. The Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)................................... 37 8. Finding Exemptions ................................................................................ 37 iii 9. Sunshine Committee ............................................................................... 38 F. WHERE AND HOW DOES A PERSON PROCEED IF ACCESS IS REFUSED?........ 38 1. Petitions to the Attorney General ............................................................ 40 a. Role of the Attorney General........................................................ 40 b. General Procedures ....................................................................... 41 c. Health Professional Regulatory Boards and Health Licensing Office ............................................................................................ 43 2. Petitions to the District Attorney ............................................................. 45 3. Elected Officials ...................................................................................... 46 4. Court Proceedings ................................................................................... 47 5. Public Records Advocate ........................................................................ 50 G. WHAT PUBLIC RECORDS ARE EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE? ....................... 51 a. The Conditional Exemptions of ORS 192.345 ............................. 51 (1) Public Records Pertaining to Litigation ..................................... 51 (2) Trade Secrets ............................................................................. 54 (3) Criminal Investigations .............................................................. 58 (4) Tests and Examinations ............................................................. 60 (5) Business Records Required to be Submitted ............................. 60 (6) Real Estate Appraisals ............................................................... 61 (7) Employee Representation Cards ................................................ 62 (8) Civil Rights Investigations ........................................................ 62 (9) Unfair Labor Practice Investigations ......................................... 63 (10) Debt Consolidator Investigations ........................................... 63 (11) Archaeological Site Information ............................................ 63 (12) Personnel Discipline Actions ................................................. 64 (13) Information about Threatened or Endangered Species ........... 66 (14) Faculty Research .................................................................... 67 (15) Computer Programs for the Use of Public Bodies ................. 67 (16) Agricultural Producer Indebtedness Mediation Data ............. 68 (17) Unsafe Workplace Investigation Materials ............................ 68 (18) Public Safety Plans ................................................................. 69 (19) Telecommunications Utility Audits ....................................... 69 (20) Voter’s Home Address ........................................................... 70 (21) Housing Authority and Urban Renewal Agency Records ...... 71 (22) Interference with Property or Services ................................... 72 (23) Security Measures .................................................................. 73 (24) OHSU and Public University Donation Records ................... 74 (25) Public University Donation Records ...................................... 74 (26) Commodity Commission Filers.............................................. 75 (27) Financial Transfer Records .................................................... 75 (28) Social Security Numbers in Divorce Cases ............................ 75 (29) University Student E-mail Addresses ..................................... 76 iv (30) OHSU Medical Researcher Records ...................................... 76 (31) Personal Information of Public Safety Officers Appearing in Certain Records............................................................................... 77 (32) Personal Information of Certain Government Attorneys........ 78 (33) Land Management Plans ........................................................ 79 (34) SAIF Corporation Business Records ...................................... 80 (35) Public Safety Officer Investigations ....................................... 80 (36) Medical Examiner Records .................................................... 81 (37) Ongoing Audits of Public Bodies ........................................... 82 (38) Electronic Fare Information ................................................... 83 (39) Personal Information of Civil Code Enforcement Officers in Certain Records............................................................................... 84 (40) Body Camera Footage ...........................................................