(1) ((EHB 1595))RCW 42.56.070(1) requires state agencies to make available for inspection and copying nonexempt "public records" in accordance with published rules. In compliance, this chapter is approved and adopted by the board of directors of Washington state school directors' association (WSSDA) to ((inform, facilitate, and regulate the collection of allowed charges for public records requests))establish the procedures the Washington state school directors' association will follow to provide full access to public records. These rules provide information to persons wishing to request access to public records of the Washington state school directors' association and establish processes for both requestors and Washington state school directors' association staff designed to best assist members of the public in obtaining access.

(2) These rules will be interpreted in favor of disclosure. Prompt assistance to the public shall be provided without affecting WSSDA's primordial mission of providing leadership, advocacy, and empowerment to its members.

(1) "Business days" are weekdays, Monday through Friday, excluding official Washington state holidays and state agency closures for any reason.

(2) "Public Records Act" or "act" means chapter 42.56 RCW.

(3) "WSSDA" means Washington state school directors' association established under chapter 28A.345 RCW.

(4) "Public records" includes any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by ((the agency))WSSDA.

(5) "Public records officer" means the employee designated by the WSSDA executive director under RCW 42.56.580(1) responsible for overseeing WSSDA's compliance with the Public Records Act.

(6) "Standard page" is an 8 × 11 size paper.

(2) All new WSSDA employees will receive basic training on public records, open government meeting, and records retention within ((ninety))90 days from date of hire. Such training includes access to publications, online classes, and tutorials on the subject published and offered by different agencies of the state.

((The public records are available for public access according to these rules, except as otherwise provided by law.))(1) Making requests for public records.

(3) WSSDA's public records officer is available at the following address, telephone and fax numbers or email address:

Office of Public Records/Open Public Meetings

221 College Street N.E.

Olympia, WA 98516-5313

WSSDA Public Records Officer

Phone: 360-493-9231

Fax: 360-252-3022

Attn: Public Records Officer

Email: PublicRecordsRequest@wssda.org

((In general,))(1) Acknowledging receipt of the request. The public records officer shall respond within five business days from receipt of a request by doing one or more of the following:

(((1)))(a) Provide copies of the records requested or make the record available for inspection;

(((2)))(b) Provide an internet address and link to WSSDA's website where the specific record can be accessed;

(((3)))(c) Acknowledge that WSSDA received the request and provide a reasonable estimate of the time to fully respond;

(((4)))(d) Acknowledge that WSSDA received the request and ask the requestor to clarify a request that is unclear, while providing to the greatest extent possible, a reasonable estimate of the time WSSDA needs to respond to the request if it is not clarified; or

(((5)))(e) Deny the request((;

(9))).

(7) Bot requests. WSSDA shall deny a computer-generated bot request that is one of multiple requests from the requestor within a ((twenty-four))24 hour period whenever WSSDA establishes that responding to the multiple bot requests would cause excessive interference with WSSDA's other essential functions;

(((10) When))(8) If WSSDA inadvertently fails to respond in writing within five business days of receipt of the request for disclosure, the requestor can contact the public records officer or executive director to determine the reason for the failure to respond;

(((11) When the number of responsive records to a request is voluminous and the time for locating, assembling, or reviewing the records is considerable, the public records officer may choose to respond in installments treating each installment as a separate public records request.))

WSSDA reserves the right to exempt public records from disclosure in accordance with chapter 42.56 RCW or other statutes which exempt or prohibit disclosure of specific information or records.

Whenever WSSDA believes that a record is exempt from disclosure and should be withheld, the public records officer shall specify in writing the exemption explaining how the exemption applies to the record withheld or redacted.

When only a portion of a record is exempt from disclosure, but the remainder is not exempt, the public records officer shall first redact the exempt portions; second, provide the nonexempt portions; and finally, explain in writing why portions of the record are exempt and redacted.

If the requested records contain information that may affect rights of others and the information is exempt from disclosure, the public records officer may, prior to providing the records, notify those affected to enable them to contact the requestor and ask ((him or her))them to revise the request, or, if necessary, seek a court order to prevent or limit the disclosure. The notice to the affected persons may also include a copy of the request.

WSSDA is prohibited by statute from disclosing lists of individuals for commercial purposes.

(1) ((Costs for paper copies))Inspections. There is no fee for inspecting public records ((and charges can be waived for humanitarian reasons. However, a requestor may obtain photocopies or printed copies for a fee of fifteen cents per standard 8 x 11 page.

(3) Costs of mailing. WSSDA shall charge actual costs of mailing, including the cost of shipping.)), either in person or on WSSDA's website.

(4) Payment. Payment is made by cash, check, or money order to WSSDA. Before copying public records, the public records officer or designee may require a deposit of up to 10 percent of the estimated costs of copying all of the records. The public records officer or designee may require payment of the remainder of the copying costs before providing all of the records, or the payment of costs of copying an installment before providing the installment. WSSDA will not charge sales tax when it makes copies of public records.

(5) Customized charges. A customized service charge is imposed by WSSDA when outside information technology experts are needed to prepare data compilations or to customize electronic access services when the compilations and customized access services are not used by WSSDA.

No customized service charge is applicable unless WSSDA notifies beforehand the requestor of the customized service charge explaining its reason, a description of the specific expertise needed, and a reasonable estimate of the charge.

((These costs and charges are not exclusive and subject to change upon prior notice.))(6) Costs of mailing. WSSDA will also charge actual costs of mailing, including the costs of the shipping container.

(1)Closing requests. The request is deemed closed once the requested records or last installment of the request has been provided with the requestor expressly or impliedly acknowledging receipt without further follow-up communication being made. The public records officer or designee will communicate with the requestor indicating that WSSDA has completed a reasonable search for the requested records and made any located nonexempt records available for inspection or disclosure.

((Other closing conditions. A request is also deemed closed:

(3) When the requestor failed to inspect, pay, and/or pick up any or all of the requested records within fifteen business days of issuance of such notice of availability;))(2) Closing withdrawn or abandoned requests. The public records officer or designee will close a request and indicate to the requestor that WSSDA has closed the request:

(3)Records retention. Once closed, the records of the public records request is retained and the originals of any records assembled in response to the request refiled. Any duplicate copies of records may be destroyed in accordance with the records retention schedule.

((The requestor may submit a petition for reconsideration either with the records officer or executive director of WSSDA for any denial of a public records request.

Upon receipt of the petition, the public records officer or executive director of WSSDA will review the petition the approval or disapproval of which constitute the final action of WSSDA.))(1) Petition for internal administrative review of denial of access. Any person who objects to the initial denial or partial denial of a records request may submit a petition in writing, including email, to the public records officer for a review of that decision. The petition shall include a copy of or reasonably identify the written statement by the public records officer or designee denying the request.

In order to adequately protect WSSDA's public records, requestors must comply with the following requirements while inspecting public records:

(1) Requestors may not remove any public record from WSSDA's premises.

(2) Requestors must have a designated WSSDA employee present while inspecting a public record.

(3) Requestors may not mark or deface a public record in any manner during inspection.

(4) Requestors may not dismantle public records that are maintained in a file or jacket, or in chronological or other filing order, or those records that, if lost or destroyed, would constitute excessive interference with WSSDA's essential functions.

(5) Access to agency file cabinets, shelves, vaults, or other storage areas is restricted to agency personnel, unless other arrangements are made with the public records officer or designee.