Public Records and Meetings Manual - Attorney General

1 STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Attorney General S Public Records AND Meetings Manual Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. James Madison (1822) ELLEN F. ROSENBLUM Attorney General June 2019 OREGON Attorney General S Public Records AND Meetings Manual 2019 STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Attorney General S Public Records AND Meetings Manual ELLEN F. ROSENBLUM Attorney General June 2019 2019 State of Oregon acting by and through its Department of Justice All rights reserved Additional copies may be purchased from: Publications Section Department of Justice 1162 Court Street Salem, Oregon 97301-4096 For current price, please call: (503) 378-2992 TTY: (800) 735-2900 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.

2 X PREFACE .. xiii RENUMBERING OF Public Records LAW .. xiv I. Public Records .. 1 A. WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO INSPECT Public Records ? .. 1 B. WHO IS SUBJECT TO THE Public Records LAW? .. 2 1. Public Bodies .. 2 2. Private Bodies .. 3 C. WHAT Records ARE COVERED BY THE LAW? .. 6 1. Writing .. 6 2. Prepared, Owned, Used, or Retained .. 8 D. HOW CAN A PERSON INSPECT OR OBTAIN Public Records ? .. 9 1. Making a Request .. 9 2. Records Custodian .. 11 3. Acknowledging a Request .. 11 4. Completing the Response to a Request .. 12 a. The 15 Business-Day Deadline .. 13 b. Exceptions to the Deadlines .. 15 c. Failing to Complete a Timely Response .. 16 5. Inspecting Records versus Obtaining Copies .. 16 a. Inspecting Records .. 17 b. Copying Records .. 18 6. Protective Rules .. 19 7. Fees .. 20 a. Fee Schedules.

3 21 b. Waiving or Reducing Fees .. 22 (1) Public Interest Test .. 23 (2) Decision on Fee Waiver or 24 8. Consulting with Legal Counsel .. 26 9. Retaining and Destroying Public Records .. 26 10. Oregon Transparency Website .. 28 E. HOW DOES A Public BODY DETERMINE IF Records ARE EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE? .. 29 1. The Nature of the Exemptions .. 29 2. Conditional and Unconditional Exemptions from Disclosure.. 31 3. The Public Interest in Disclosure .. 32 4. Separating Exempt and Nonexempt 34 5. Waiving an Exemption .. 35 6. Records More than 25 Years Old .. 36 7. The Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).. 37 8. Finding Exemptions .. 37 iv 9. Sunshine Committee .. 38 F. WHERE AND HOW DOES A PERSON PROCEED IF ACCESS IS REFUSED?.. 38 1. Petitions to the Attorney General .. 40 a. Role of the Attorney 40 b.

4 General Procedures .. 41 c. Health Professional Regulatory Boards and Health Licensing Office .. 43 2. Petitions to the District Attorney .. 45 3. Elected Officials .. 46 4. Court Proceedings .. 47 5. Public Records Advocate .. 50 G. WHAT Public Records ARE EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE? .. 51 a. The Conditional Exemptions of ORS .. 51 (1) Public Records Pertaining to Litigation .. 51 (2) Trade Secrets .. 54 (3) Criminal Investigations .. 58 (4) Tests and Examinations .. 60 (5) Business Records Required to be Submitted .. 60 (6) Real Estate Appraisals .. 61 (7) Employee Representation Cards .. 62 (8) Civil Rights Investigations .. 62 (9) Unfair Labor Practice Investigations .. 63 (10) Debt Consolidator Investigations .. 63 (11) Archaeological Site Information .. 63 (12) Personnel Discipline Actions.

5 64 (13) Information about Threatened or Endangered Species .. 66 (14) Faculty Research .. 67 (15) Computer Programs for the Use of Public Bodies .. 67 (16) Agricultural Producer Indebtedness Mediation Data .. 68 (17) Unsafe Workplace Investigation Materials .. 68 (18) Public Safety Plans .. 69 (19) Telecommunications Utility Audits .. 69 (20) Voter s Home Address .. 70 (21) Housing Authority and Urban Renewal Agency Records .. 71 (22) Interference with Property or Services .. 72 (23) Security Measures .. 73 (24) OHSU and Public University Donation Records .. 74 (25) Public University Donation Records .. 74 (26) Commodity Commission 75 (27) Financial Transfer Records .. 75 (28) Social Security Numbers in Divorce Cases .. 75 (29) University Student E-mail Addresses .. 76 v (30) OHSU Medical Researcher Records .

6 76 (31) Personal Information of Public Safety Officers Appearing in Certain 77 (32) Personal Information of Certain Government 78 (33) Land Management Plans .. 79 (34) SAIF Corporation Business Records .. 80 (35) Public Safety Officer Investigations .. 80 (36) Medical Examiner Records .. 81 (37) Ongoing Audits of Public Bodies .. 82 (38) Electronic Fare Information .. 83 (39) Personal Information of Civil Code Enforcement Officers in Certain 84 (40) Body Camera Footage .. 85 b. The Exemptions of ORS .. 86 (1) Internal Advisory Communications .. 86 (a) Types of Records .. 87 (b) Balancing Disclosure and Nondisclosure .. 88 (2) Personal Privacy Exemption .. 90 (a) Personal Information .. 91 (b) Unreasonable Invasion of Privacy .. 92 (c) Balancing Disclosure and Nondisclosure .. 94 (d) Applying the Exemption.

7 94 (e) Related Exemptions .. 98 i. The Personal Safety Exemption .. 98 ii. Concealed Handgun Licenses .. 99 (3) Public Employee Personal Information .. 100 (a) Public Employee Photo ID .. 102 (4) Confidential Submissions .. 102 (a) Generally .. 102 (b) Personal Contact Information .. 106 (5) Corrections and Parole Board Records .. 107 (6) Lending Institution Records .. 108 (7) Presentence and Probation 108 (8) Federal Law Exemption .. 109 (9) Other Oregon Statutes Establishing Specific Exemptions .. 110 (a) In General .. 110 (b) Attorney -Client Privilege .. 111 (10) Transferred Records .. 112 (11) Security Programs for Transporting Radioactive Material .. 113 (12) PERS Nonfinancial Information about Members .. 114 (13) Records Relating to the State Treasurer or OIC Publicly Traded Investments.

8 115 vi (14) Records Relating to the State Treasurer or OIC Investment in Private Fund or Asset .. 116 (15) Public Employees Retirement Fund and Industrial Accident Fund Monthly Reports .. 118 (16) Unclaimed Property Reports .. 118 (17) Economic Development Information .. 119 (18) Transient Lodging Tax Records .. 120 (19) Information for Obtaining Court-Appointed Counsel .. 121 (20) Workers Compensation Claim Records .. 121 (21) OHSU Sensitive Business Records .. 122 (22) OHSU Candidates for University President .. 123 (23) Library Records .. 123 (24) Housing and Community Services Department Records .. 123 (25) Forestland Geographic Information System .. 124 (26) Public Sale or Purchase of Electric Power .. 125 (27) Klamath Cogeneration Project .. 126 (28) Public Utility Customer Information.

9 126 (29) Alternative Transportation Addresses .. 127 (30) Oregon Corrections Enterprises .. 127 (31) Confidential Submissions to DCBS .. 128 (32) County Elections Security Plans .. 128 (33) Security Programs .. 129 (34) Personal Information in Paternity or Child Support Judgments or Orders .. 130 (35) SAIF Corporation Employer Account Records .. 130 (36) SAIF Corporation Claimant Records .. 130 (37) Military Discharge 131 (38) Domestic Violence Service or Resource Center Records .. 131 (39) Prescription Drug Monitoring Records .. 131 (40) E-mail Addresses .. 132 (41) Personal Information of DPSST Licensees .. 133 (42) Veterans Personal Information .. 133 APPENDIX A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .. A-1 APPENDIX B SAMPLES, FORMS .. B-1 SAMPLE REQUEST FOR DISCLOSURE OF Public B-2 SAMPLE WRITTEN PROCEDURE FOR Public Records REQUEST.

10 B-3 SAMPLE RESPONSE ACKNOWLEDGING Public Records REQUEST .. B-5 SAMPLE RESPONSE COMPLETING Public Records REQUEST .. B-6 CERTIFICATION OF TRUE COPY (PAPER Records ) .. B-7 CERTIFICATION OF TRUE COPY (ELECTRONIC Records ) .. B-8 PETITION FOR Attorney General S OR DISTRICT Attorney S REVIEW .. B-9 HELPFUL HINTS FOR RESPONDING TO Public Records REQUESTS .. B-10 vii APPENDIX C SUMMARIES OF OREGON APPELLATE COURT DECISIONS .. C-1 1961 C-1 1981 C-3 1991 C-7 2001 C-12 2012 CURRENT .. C-16 APPENDIX D SUMMARIES OF OREGON Attorney General OPINIONS .. D-1 1976 D-1 1981 D-2 1991 CURRENT .. D-5 APPENDIX E SUMMARIES OF SELECTED Public Records ORDERS ISSUED BY THE OREGON Attorney General .. E-1 1981 E-1 1986 E-2 1991 E-7 1996 E-11 2001 E-16 2006 E-19 2012 CURRENT .. E-25 APPENDIX F STATUTES AFFECTING DISCLOSURE.