DEPARTMENT OF

EARLY LEARNING

(1) There is no cost to inspect records.

(2) Calculating the actual costs of charges for providing public records is unduly burdensome because it will consume scarce department of early learning resources to conduct a study of actual costs, and it is difficult to accurately calculate all costs directly incident to copying records, including equipment and paper costs, data storage costs, electronic production costs, and staff time for copying and sending requested records.

(3) Instead of calculating the actual costs of charges for records, the director or director's designee shall establish, maintain, and make available for public inspection and copying a statement of costs that the department of early learning charges for providing photocopies or electronically produced copies of public records, and such charges for records shall not exceed the maximum default charges allowed in RCW 42.56.120 (2)(b), as amended by section 3, chapter 304, Laws of 2017. The department may also use any other method authorized by the Public Records Act for imposing charges for public records including, but not limited to, charging a flat fee, charging a customized service charge, or charging based on a contract, memorandum of understanding, or other agreement with a requestor.

(4) Fee waivers. Fee waivers are an exception and are available for some small requests under the following conditions:

(a) It is within the discretion of the public records officer to waive copying fees when:

(i) All of the records responsive to an entire request are paper copies only and are twenty-five or fewer pages; or

(ii) All of the records responsive to an entire request are electronic and can be provided in a single email with attachments of a size totaling no more than the equivalent of one hundred printed pages. If that email for any reason is not deliverable, records will be provided through another means of delivery, and the requestor will be charged in accordance with this rule.

(b) Fee waivers are not applicable to records provided in installments.

(5) Advance deposits. The public records officer may require an advance deposit of ten percent of the estimated fees when the copying fees for an installment or an entire request, or customized service charge, exceeds twenty-five dollars.

(6) All required fees must be paid in advance of release of the copies or an installment of copies, or in advance of when a deposit is required. DEL will notify the requestor when payment is due. Payment should be delivered to the DEL Financial Services Office, P.O. Box 40970, Olympia, WA 98504-0970. Payment may be made by cash, check, or money order to the department of early learning. It should clearly be marked as payment for public records.

(7) DEL will close a request when a requestor fails by the payment date to pay in the manner prescribed for records, an installment of records, or a required deposit.