Section 430-01-070 - Responses to public records requests(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:(a) Provide copies of the records requested or make the record available for inspection;(b) Provide an internet address and link to WSSDA's website where the specific record can be accessed;(c) Acknowledge that WSSDA received the request and provide a reasonable estimate of the time to fully respond;(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(2)Requests for clarification. In acknowledging receipt of a public record request that is unclear, WSSDA may ask the requestor to clarify what information the requestor is seeking.(3)Additional time. Additional time required to respond to a request may be based upon the following:(a) The need to clarify the intent of the request;(b) The need to locate and assemble the information requested;(c) The need to notify third persons or agencies affected by the request; or(d) The need to determine whether any of the information requested is exempt and that a denial should be made as to all or part of the requested.(4)Processing requests. WSSDA will process requests in the order in which they are received. WSSDA may modify this approach as necessary to ensure that requests that seek larger volumes of records, require closer review, or are otherwise more time consuming, do not unreasonably delay simpler, more routine requests.(5)Providing records in installments. 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.(6)Providing electronic records.(a) When electronic records are requested, WSSDA will provide:(i) The nonexempt records or portions of such records that are reasonably locatable in an electronic format that is used by WSSDA and is generally commercially available; or(ii) At WSSDA's discretion, in a format that is reasonably translatable from the format in which WSSDA keeps the records.(b) WSSDA is under no obligation to convert electronic records to a specific format identified by the requestor.(c) When metadata is requested, the agency will provide the records in a native file format that preserves metadata where technically feasible. Metadata may be unavailable for records that require conversion to a nonnative format in order to apply exemptions.(7)Bot requests. WSSDA shall deny a computer-generated bot request that is one of multiple requests from the requestor within a 24 hour period whenever WSSDA establishes that responding to the multiple bot requests would cause excessive interference with WSSDA's other essential functions;(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;Wash. Admin. Code § 430-01-070
Adopted by WSR 18-09-072, Filed 4/16/2018, effective 5/17/2018Amended by WSR 23-17-044, Filed 8/9/2023, effective 9/9/2023