Wash. Admin. Code § 200-01-040

Current through Register Vol. 24-21, November 1, 2024

Section 200-01-040 - Processing of public records requests-Request

(1) Publicly available web records.

Before submitting a PRR, persons seeking DES public records are strongly encouraged to first review the DES website at www.des.wa.gov.

Another website, data.wa.gov, offers data collected from a variety of government agencies. This website provides substantial numbers of public records concerning agency business that are free for viewing and downloading at any time and accessible without submitting a PRR to DES.

(2) Public Records Act requests. DES requires no special form. However, all Public Records Act requests to DES must be sent only to the public records officer in the Olympia office. DES will accept PRRs in any one of the following ways:

Email: publicrecords@des.wa.gov

U.S. mail or delivery:

Public Records Officer

Department of Enterprise Services

1500 Jefferson Street E.

P.O. Box 42445

Olympia, WA 98504-2445

Requestors are strongly encouraged to submit written requests. At a minimum, a written request must include the following information:

* Name of requestor;

* Contact information;

* Identification of the public records adequate for the public records officer to locate the records; and

* The date and time of day of the request.

(3) If the requestor wishes to have copies of the records made instead of inspecting them, the request should so indicate. Costs will be assessed in compliance with WAC 200-01-075.

DES accepts in-person requests at the Olympia administrative office during customary business hours. If DES receives an oral request, the public records officer will reduce the request to writing and verify in writing with the requestor that it correctly memorialized the request.

Only the Olympia administrative office is authorized to accept public records requests.

Offices other than the Olympia administrative office, other DES email addresses, other DES fax or phone numbers, and other DES staff are not authorized to accept Public Records Act requests to DES.

All communications with DES to access public records of the department or to seek assistance in making such a request, or for the purpose of obtaining information, making requests or making inquiries concerning the agency's rules for compliance with the Public Records Act shall be addressed as follows:

Public Records Officer

Department of Enterprise Services

1500 Jefferson Street E.

P.O. Box 42445

Olympia, WA 98504-2445

Communications seeking DES records sent or provided to unauthorized locations, addresses or staff, will not be accepted or processed as PRRs. DES will process such communications as general informal inquiries, general correspondence, general requests for information, or discovery, as appropriate. The requestor may resubmit his/her request to the public records officer at the Olympia office.

This Public Records Act records request procedure provides the fullest assistance to requestors by:

(a) Establishing a uniform point of contact for all Public Records Act requests to DES and related inquiries, consistent with the public records officer contact information published in the Washington State Register, and pursuant to RCW 42.56.580;

(b) Enabling DES to promptly distinguish PRRs from the high volume of other daily communications to DES on multiple topics. This enables timely responses and avoids excessive interference with essential agency functions as provided in RCW 42.56.100; and

(c) Ensuring that PRRs are centrally reviewed during customary business hours by the public records officer, so DES may more efficiently assign a tracking number to the request, log it in, review it, provide an initial or other response within five business days after receipt as provided in RCW 42.56.520, and otherwise timely process the request pursuant to the Public Records Act and these rules.

(4) Processing - General. The public records officer oversees compliance with the Public Records Act. The public records officer and the office will provide the fullest assistance to requestors; ensure that public records are protected from damage or disorganization; and prevent fulfilling public records requests from causing excessive interference with essential functions of the office. More information about submitting public records requests to the office is in this chapter and on the DES website.

Wash. Admin. Code § 200-01-040

Amended by WSR 21-09-043, Filed 4/14/2021, effective 5/15/2021

Statutory Authority: RCW 43.19.011 and chapter 42.56 RCW. 12-02-004, § 200-01-040, filed 12/22/11, effective 1/22/12.