Revamp of WA public records rules nears completion

Washington officials hope to issue new recommendations by summer’s end for how governments release public records, with the goal of speeding up disclosure.

Over 2,000 agencies are subject to the state’s Public Records Act, which voters approved via ballot initiative in 1972. The Legislature has revised it numerous times since, adding many exemptions. The rules Attorney General Nick Brown is proposing don’t change the law, but instead serve as a guide for state and local governments on how to comply.

The rule changes come as the time taken to fulfill requests has been rising, and local government staff are crunched under the weight of increasing demand for records.

A survey of 236 entities subject to the law found they received 484,000 requests for records in 2024, up from 383,000 in 2019, according to a report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee. In 2019, it took 15 days on average for agencies to provide records from the date of the request. In 2024, that was up to 24 days, the audit found.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/07/02/plan-to-speed-up-wa-public-records-system-nears-completion/