Source: http://www.atchisoncountyks.org/181/Kansas-Open-Records-Act
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 04:10:26+00:00

Document:
Kansas Open Records Act | the Atchison County Official Website!!
45-215. Title of act. K.S.A. 45-215 through 45-223 shall be known and may be cited as the open records act.
45-216. Public policy that records be open. (a) It is declared to be the public policy of the state that public records shall be open for inspection by any person unless otherwise provided by this act, and this act shall be liberally construed and applied to promote such policy.
(c) "Criminal investigation records" means records of an investigatory agency or criminal justice agency as defined by K.S.A. 22-4701 and amendments thereto, compiled in the process of preventing, detecting or investigating violations of criminal law, but does not include police blotter entries, court records, rosters of inmates of jails or other correctional or detention facilities or records pertaining to violations of any traffic law other than vehicular homicide as defined by K.S.A. 21-3405 and amendments thereto.
(A) Any entity solely by reason of payment from public funds for property, goods or services of such entity; (B) any municipal judge, judge of the district court, judge of the court of appeals or justice of the supreme court; or (C) any officer or employee of the state or political or taxing subdivision of the state if the state or political or taxing subdivision does not provide the officer or employee with an office which is open to the public at least 35 hours a week.
(f) (1) [(g) (1)] "Public record" means any recorded information, regardless of form or characteristics, which is made, maintained or kept by or is in the possession of any public agency including, but not limited to, an agreement in settlement of litigation involving the Kansas public employees retirement system and the investment of moneys of the fund.
(2) "Public record" shall not include records which are owned by a private person or entity and are not related to functions, activities, programs or operations funded by public funds or records which are made, maintained or kept by an individual who is a member of the legislature or of the governing body of any political or taxing subdivision of the state.
(3) "Public record" shall not include records of employers related to the employer's individually identifiable contributions made on behalf of employees for workers compensation, social security, unemployment insurance or retirement. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to records of employers of lump-sum payments for contributions as described in this subsection paid for any group, division or section of an agency.
History: L. 1984, ch. 187, § 3; L. 1992, ch. 321, § 22; L. 1994, ch. 293, § 4; L. 2005, ch. 126, § 7; July 1.
45-218. Inspection of records; request; response; refusal, when; fees. (a) All public records shall be open for inspection by any person, except as otherwise provided by this act, and suitable facilities shall be made available by each public agency for this purpose. No person shall removal original copies of public records from the office of any public agency without the written permission of the custodian of the record.
45-219. Abstracts or copies of records; fees. (a) Any person may make abstracts or obtain copies of any public record to which such person has access under this act. If copies are requested, the public agency may require a written request and advance payment of the prescribed fee. A public agency shall not be required to provide copies of radio or recording tapes or discs, video tapes or films, pictures, slides, graphics, illustrations or similar audio or visual items or devices, unless such items or devices were shown or played to a public meeting of the governing body thereof, but the public agency shall not be required to provide such items or devices which are copyrighted by a person other than the public agency.
History: L. 1984, ch. 187, § 5; L. 1984, ch. 282; § 2; L. 1994, ch. 100, § 1; L. 1995, ch. 135, § 1; July 1.
45-220. Procedures for obtaining access to or copies of records; request; office hours; provision of information on procedures. (a) Each public agency shall adopt procedures to be followed in requesting access to and obtaining copies of public records, which procedures shall provide full access to public records, protect public records from damage and disorganization, prevent excessive disruption of the agency's essential functions, provide assistance and information upon request and insure efficient and timely action in response to applications for inspection of public records.
History: L. 1984, ch. 187, § 6; L. 1984, ch. 282, §3; L. 2003, ch. 126, § 2; July 1.
(1) Records the disclosure of which is specifically prohibited or restricted by federal law, state statute or rule of the Kansas supreme court or rule of the senate committee on confirmation oversight relating to information submitted to the committee pursuant to K.S.A. 2008 Supp. 75-4315d, and amendments thereto, or the disclosure of which is prohibited or restricted pursuant to specific authorization of federal law, state statute or rule of the Kansas supreme court or rule of the senate committee on confirmation oversight relating to information submitted to the committee pursuant to K.S.A. 2008 Supp. 75-4315d, and amendments thereto, to restrict or prohibit disclosure.
(F) would not reveal the name, address, phone number or any other information which specifically and individually identifies the victim of any sexual offense in article 35 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto.
(13) The contents of appraisals or engineering or feasibility estimates or evaluations made by or for a public agency relative to the acquisition of property, prior to the award of formal contracts therefor.
(26) Records of a utility or other public service pertaining to individually identifiable residential customers of the utility or service, except that information concerning billings for specific individual customers named by the requester shall be subject to disclosure as provided by this act.
(D) records of the department of corrections regarding the financial assets of an offender in the custody of the secretary of corrections shall be subject to disclosure to the victim, or such victim's family, of the crime for which the inmate is in custody as set forth in an order of restitution by the sentencing court.
(31) Public records pertaining to prospective location of a business or industry where no previous public disclosure has been made of the business' or industry's interest in locating in, relocating within or expanding within the state. This exception shall not include those records pertaining to application of agencies for permits or licenses necessary to do business or to expand business operations within this state, except as otherwise provided by law.
(37) Any financial data or traffic information from a railroad company, to a public agency, concerning the sale, lease or rehabilitation of the railroad's property in Kansas.
(40) Disclosure reports filed with the commissioner of insurance under subsection (a) of K.S.A. 40-2,156, and amendments thereto.
(41) All financial analysis ratios and examination synopses concerning insurance companies that are submitted to the commissioner by the national association of insurance commissioners' insurance regulatory information system.
(43) Market research, market plans, business plans and the terms and conditions of managed care or other third party contracts, developed or entered into by the university of Kansas medical center in the operation and management of the university hospital which the chancellor of the university of Kansas or the chancellor's designee determines would give an unfair advantage to competitors of the university of Kansas medical center.
(47) Information that would reveal the location of a shelter or a safehouse or similar place where persons are provided protection from abuse.
History: L. 1984, ch. 187, § 7; L. 1984, ch. 282, § 4; L. 1986, ch. 193, § 1; L. 1987, ch. 176, § 4; L. 1989, ch. 154, § 1; L. 1991, ch. 149, § 12; L. 1994, ch. 107, § 8; L. 1995, ch. 44, § 1; L. 1995, ch. 257, § 6; L. 1996, ch. 256, § 15; L. 1997, ch. 126, § 44; L. 1997, ch. 181, § 15; L. 2000, ch. 156, § 3; L. 2001, ch. 211, § 13; L. 2002, ch. 178, § 1; L. 2003, ch. 109, § 22; L. 2004, ch. 171, § 30; L. 2005, ch. 126, § 1; L. 2008, ch. 121, § 4; July 1.
45-222. Civil remedies to enforce act; attorney fees. (a) The district court of any county in which public records are located shall have jurisdiction to enforce the purposes of this act with respect to such records, by injunction, mandamus or other appropriate order, in an action brought by any person, the attorney general or a county or district attorney.
(c) In any action hereunder, the court shall award costs and a reasonable sum as an attorney's fee for services rendered in such action, including proceedings on appeal, to be recovered and collected as part of the costs to the plaintiff if the court finds that the agency's denial of access to the public record was not in good faith and without a reasonable basis in fact or law. The award shall be assessed against the public agency that the court determines to be responsible for the violation.
(d) In any action hereunder in which the defendant is the prevailing party, the court shall award to the defendant costs and a reasonable sum as an attorney's fee for services rendered in such action, including proceedings on appeal, to be recovered and collected as part of the costs if the court finds that the plaintiff maintained the action not in good faith and without a reasonable basis in fact or law.
(e) Except as otherwise provided by law, proceedings arising under this section shall be assigned for hearing and trial at the earliest practicable date.
(f) The provisions of subsections (c) and (d) concerning the awarding of costs and attorney fees for services rendered during an appeal shall apply only to actions which are based on causes of action accruing on or after July 1, 2004.
History: L. 1984, ch. 187, § 8; L. 1984, ch. 282, § 6; L. 1990, ch. 190, § 1; L. 2000, ch. 156, § 4; L. 2004, ch. 151, § 2; July 1.
45-223. Civil penalties for violations. (a) Any public agency subject to this act that knowingly violates any of the provisions of this act or that intentionally fails to furnish information as required by this act shall be liable for the payment of a civil penalty in an action brought by the attorney general or county or district attorney, in a sum set by the court of not to exceed $500 for each violation.
(b) Any civil penalty sued for and recovered hereunder by the attorney general shall be paid into the state general fund. Any civil penalty sued for and recovered hereunder by a county or district attorney shall be paid into the general fund of the county in which the proceedings were instigated.
History: L. 1984, ch. 187, § 9; L. 2000, ch. 156, § 5; July 1.
45-224. Continuation of fees and procedures adopted under prior act. All fees, schedules of times for making of copies, hours during which public records may be inspected or copies obtained, procedures for requesting access to or obtaining copies of public records or other policies or procedures which were prescribed or adopted by any public agency pursuant to chapter 171 of the session laws of 1983, insofar as the same are authorized or in accordance with the provisions of this act, shall constitute the fees, schedules, hours and policies or procedures of such public agency for the purposes of this act until changed, modified or revoked by the public agency in accordance with the provisions of this act.
45-225. Severability of provisions. If any provisions of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or application and, to this end, the provisions of this act are severable.
45-226. Local freedom of information officer. (a) The governing body of every public agency in Kansas which maintains public records shall designate a local freedom of information officer.
45-227. Brochure concerning public records. (a) An official custodian shall prominently display or distribute or otherwise make available to the public a brochure in the form prescribed by the local freedom of information officer that contains basic information about the rights of a requestor, the responsibilities of a public agency, and the procedures for inspecting or obtaining a copy of public records under the open records act. The official custodian shall display or distribute or otherwise make available to the public the brochure at one or more places in the administrative offices of the governmental body where it is available to members of the public who request public information in person under this act.
(b) Subject to the provisions of subsection (h), all exceptions to disclosure in existence on July 1, 2000, shall expire on July 1, 2005, and any new exception to disclosure or substantial amendment of an existing exception shall expire on July 1 of the fifth year after enactment of the new exception or substantial amendment, unless the legislature acts to continue the exception. A law that enacts a new exception or substantially amends an existing exception shall state that the exception expires at the end of five years and that the exception shall be reviewed by the legislature before the scheduled date.
(e) In the year before the expiration of an exception, the revisor of statutes shall certify to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, by July 15, the language and statutory citation of each exception which will expire in the following year which meets the criteria of an exception as defined in this section. Any exception that is not identified and certified to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives is not subject to legislative review and shall not expire. If the revisor of statutes fails to certify an exception that the revisor subsequently determines should have been certified, the revisor shall include the exception in the following year's certification after that determination.
(f) "Exception" means any provision of law which creates an exception to disclosure or limits disclosure under the open records act pursuant to K.S.A. 45-221, and amendments thereto, or pursuant to any other provision of law.
(2) applies solely to the legislature or to the state court system.
(3) Records made before the date of the expiration of an exception shall be subject to disclosure as otherwise provided by law. In deciding whether the records shall be made public, the legislature shall consider whether the damage or loss to persons or entities uniquely affected by the exception of the type specified in paragraph (2)(B) or (2)(C) of this subsection (h) would occur if the records were made public.
(i) Exceptions contained in the following statutes as certified by the revisor of statutes to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives pursuant to subsection (e) of this section on June 1, 2004, are hereby continued in existence until July 1, 2010, at which time such exceptions shall expire: 1-401, 2-1202, 5-512, 9-1137, 9-1712, 9-2217, 10-630, 11-306, 12-189, 12-1,108, 12-1694, 12-1698, 12-2819, 12-4516, 16-715, 16a-2-304, 17-1312e, 17-2227, 17-5832, 17-7503, 17-7505, 17-7511, 17-7514, 17-76,139, 19-4321, 21-2511, 22-3711, 22-4707, 22-4909, 22a-243, 22a-244, 23-605, 23-9,312, 25-4161, 25-4165, 31-405, 34-251, 38-1508, 38-1520, 38-1565, 38-1609, 38-1610, 38-1618, 38-1664, 39-709b, 39-719e, 39-934, 39-1434, 39-1704, 40-222, 40-2,156, 40-2c20, 40-2c21, 40-2d20, 40-2d21, 40-409, 40-956, 40-1128, 40-2807, 40-3012, 40-3304, 40-3308, 40-3403b, 40-3421, 40-3613, 40-3805, 40-4205, 44-510j, 44-550b, 44-594, 44-635, 44-714, 44-817, 44-1005, 44-1019, 45-221, 46-256, 46-259, 46-2201, 47-839, 47-844, 47-849, 47-1709, 48-1614, 49-406, 49-427, 55-1,102, 56-1a606, 56-1a607, 56a-1201, 56a-1202, 58-4114, 59-2135, 59-2802, 59-2979, 59-29b79, 60-3333, 60-3336, 65-102b, 65-118, 65-119, 65-153f, 65-170g, 65-177, 65-1,106, 65-1,113, 65-1,116, 65-1,157a, 65-1,163, 65-1,165, 65-1,168, 65-1,169, 65-1,171, 65-1,172, 65-436, 65-445, 65-507, 65-525, 65-531, 65-657, 65-1135, 65-1467, 65-1627, 65-1831, 65-2422d, 65-2438, 65-2836, 65-2839a, 65-2898a, 65-3015, 65-3447, 65-34,108, 65-34,126, 65-4019, 65-4608, 65-4922, 65-4925, 65-5602, 65-5603, 65-6002, 65-6003, 65-6004, 65-6010, 65-67a05, 65-6803, 65-6804, 66-101c, 66-117, 66-151, 66-1,190, 66-1,203, 66-1220a, 66-2010, 72-996, 72-4311, 72-4452, 72-5214, 72-53,106, 72-5427, 72-8903, 73-1228, 74-2424, 74-2433f, 74-4905, 74-4909, 74-50,131, 74-5515, 74-7308, 74-7338, 74-7405a, 74-8104, 74-8307, 74-8705, 74-8804, 74-9805, 75-104, 75-712, 75-7b15, 75-1267, 75-2943, 75-4332, 75-4362, 75-5133, 75-5266, 75-5665, 75-5666, 75-7310, 76-355, 76-359, 76-493, 76-12b11, 76-3305, 79-1119, 79-1437f, 79-15,118, 79-3234, 79-3395, 79-3420, 79-3499, 79-34,113, 79-3614, 79-3657, 79-4301 and 79-5206.
(j) Exceptions contained in the following statutes as certified by the revisor of statutes to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives pursuant to subsection (e) of this section on June 1, 2005, are hereby continued in existence until July 1, 2011, at which time such exceptions shall expire: 1-501, 9-1303, 12-4516a, 38-1692, 39-970, 40-4913, 65-525, 65-5117, 65-6016, 65-6017 and 74-7508.
History: L. 2000, ch. 156, § 8; L. 2005, ch. 126, § 2; L. 2006, ch. 87, § 1; L. 2007, ch. 195, § 28; July 1.
45-229b. Exceptions to disclosure; continuation of sections listed. Notwithstanding the provisions of K.S.A. 45-229, and amendments thereto, open record exceptions contained in the following statutes as certified by the revisor of statutes to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives pursuant to subsection (e) of K.S.A. 45-229, and amendments thereto, during 2006 and 2007 are hereby continued in existence until July 15, 2009, in order for the legislature to review the open records exceptions of such statutes as provided in K.S.A. 45-229, and amendments thereto, at which time such exceptions shall expire: 8-240, 8-247, 8-1324, 8-1325, 12-17,150, 12-2001, 40-5006, 40-5108, 41-2905, 41-2906, 44-706, 44-1518, 65-3239 and 66-1233.
(6) to the extent otherwise authorized by law.
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to nor impose any civil liability or penalty upon any public official, public agency or records custodian for granting access to or providing copies of public records or information containing names and addresses, in good faith compliance with the Kansas open records act, to a person who has made a written request for access to such information and has executed a written certification pursuant to subsection (c)(2) of K.S.A. 45-220, and amendments thereto.
History: L. 2003, ch. 126, § 1; July 1.

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