[Filed September 11, 2025, 3:04 p.m.]

Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 25-15-060.

Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Public records.

Hearing Location(s): On October 21, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., via Teams at https://tinyurl.com/2s4axx7t.

Date of Intended Adoption: November 18, 2025.

Submit Written Comments to: Danielle Evans, 9401 Farwest Drive S.W., Lakewood, WA 98498, email devans@pierce.ctc.edu, by October 23, 2025.

Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact access and disability services, phone 253-964-6468, email ads@pierce.ctc.edu, by October 14, 2025.

Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Pierce College is engaging in the proposed rule-making process to update chapter 132K-276 WAC.

Reasons Supporting Proposal: Pierce College is engaging with the rule-making process to update processes and procedures associated with chapter 132K-276 WAC regarding public records.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28B.50.140(13).

Statute Being Implemented: RCW 28B.50.140(13).

Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

Name of Proponent: Public.

Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting and Implementation: Danielle Evans, Pierce College District, 253-912-2290; Enforcement: Vice President for Technology and Infrastructure, Pierce College District, 253-964-6434.

A school district fiscal impact statement is not required under RCW 28A.305.135.

A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. The proposed rule will not impose any costs for the institution.

Scope of exemption for rule proposal from Regulatory Fairness Act requirements:

The proposed rule does not impose more-than-minor costs on businesses. Following is a summary of the agency's analysis showing how costs were calculated. The proposed rule will not impose any costs for the institution.

WAC 132K-276-085Processing of records requests.

(1) Applicable law. Requests for public records will be processed in accordance with these rules and applicable provisions of the Public Records Act, chapter 42.56 RCW. Guidance concerning the application of these rules may be found in the advisory model rules adopted by the attorney general under chapter 44-14 WAC.

(2) Prioritizing of requests. Public records requests generally will be processed in the order in which they are received by the records office and within the staffing limitations of the office. However, the records office may expedite requests for a single record or for only a few records, if such records are easily identifiable and can be readily retrieved. The records office may ask, but not require, a requestor to prioritize the records the requestor is seeking.

(3) Clarification of request. The public records officer may request clarification of a records request in accordance with applicable provisions of the Public Records Act. The requestor must respond to the request for clarification within 30 days of the request.

(4) Providing records by installment. If a requestor submits multiple records requests, or if a request seeks a large number of records or many different types of records, the public records officer may provide access to the records in installments in accordance with applicable provisions of the Public Records Act.

(5) Denial of bot requests. The public records officer may deny a bot request as defined under the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.080(3), if responding to the multiple requests would cause excessive interference with other essential functions of the college and the records officer reasonably believes the request was automatically generated by a computer program or script.

(6) Closure of requests. When the requestor either withdraws the request, or fails to clarify an entirely unclear request, or fails to fulfill the requestor's obligations to inspect records, pay the deposit, pay the required fees for an installment, or make final payment for the requested copies, the public records officer will close the request and notify the requestor that the request has been closed.