WSR 18-10-049
PERMANENT RULES
OFFICE OF THE
STATE TREASURER
[Filed April 26, 2018, 2:37 p.m., effective May 27, 2018]
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: The purpose of this rule is to add a new rule regarding the Public Records Act copying fees. The new WAC is enacted as WAC 474-01-091 Copying fees, and the old WAC is repealed WAC 474-01-090 Copying. As per RCW 42.56.120, chapter 304, Laws of 2017, the office of the state treasurer has adopted the act's default copy fee schedule because the office has found and placed in a rule that it is not calculating the actual costs of copying since to do so would be unduly burdensome.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: New WAC 474-01-091; and repealing WAC 474-01-090.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 42.56.100, 42.56.040 (1)(d), 42.56.120, 43.08.050.
Other Authority: Chapter 304, chapter 2017, Laws of 2018 [Chapter 304, Laws of 2017].
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 18-07-100 on March 20, 2018.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: April 26, 2018.
Shawn D. Myers
Assistant State Treasurer
NEW SECTION
WAC 474-01-091 Copying fees—Payments.
(1) The following copy fees and payment procedures apply to the office's copying of records on or after the effective date of this rule.
(2) Pursuant to RCW 42.56.120 (2)(b), the office is not calculating all actual costs for copying records because to do so would be unduly burdensome for the following reasons: (i) The office does not have the resources to conduct a study to determine all its actual copying costs; (ii) to conduct such a study would interfere with other essential agency functions; and, (iii) through the 2017 legislative process, the public and requesters have commented on and been informed of authorized fees and costs, including for electronic records, provided in RCW 42.56.120 (2)(b) and (c), (3) and (4). Therefore, as authorized in RCW 42.56.120, the agency shall implement a fee schedule consistent with the Public Records Act, as it is more cost efficient, expeditious and in the public interest for the agency to adopt the state legislature's approved fees and costs for most of the agency's records.
(3) The office will charge for copies of records pursuant to the default fees in RCW 42.56.120(3). Under RCW 42.56.130, the office may charge other copy fees authorized by statutes outside of chapter 42.56 RCW. The office may enter into an alternative fee agreement with a requester under RCW 42.56.120(4). The charges for copying methods used by the office are summarized in the fee schedule available on the office's website at www.tre.wa.gov.
(4) Requesters are required to pay for copies in advance of receiving records. 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 fifty pages or fewer; 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 100 printed pages. If that email for any reason is not deliverable, records will be provided through another means of delivery, and the requester will be charged in accordance with this rule.
(b) Fee waivers are not applicable to records provided in installments.
(5) 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. The office will notify the requester of when payment is due.
(7) Payment should be made by check or money order to the Office of the State Treasurer. The office prefers not to receive cash. For cash payments, it is within the public records officer's discretion to determine the denomination of bills and coins that will be accepted.
(8) The office will close a request when a requester fails by the payment date to pay in the manner prescribed for records, an installment of records, or a required deposit.
REPEALER
The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:
WAC 474-01-090
Copying