Opinion ID: 1836005
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Nebraska's Definition of Public Records

Text: Section 84-712.01(1) defines public records in Nebraska: [P]ublic records shall include all records and documents, regardless of physical form, of or belonging to this state, any county, city, village, political subdivision, or tax-supported district in this state, or any agency, branch, department, board, bureau, commission, council, subunit, or committee of any of the foregoing. Data which is a public record in its original form shall remain a public record when maintained in computer files. The reference to data in the last sentence shows that the Legislature intended public records to include a public body's component information, not just its completed reports or documents. In addition, § 84-712.01(3) requires that courts liberally construe the public records statutes for disclosure when a public body has expended its funds. The City argues that the of or belonging to language in § 84-712.01 means a public body must have ownership of, as distinguished from a right to obtain, materials in the hands of a private entity. But the City's narrow reading of the statute would often allow a public body to shield records from public scrutiny. It could simply contract with a private party to perform one of its government functions without requiring production of any written materials. [15, 16] Section 84-712.01 does not require a citizen to show that a public body has actual possession of a requested record. Construing the of or belonging to language liberally, as we must, this broad definition includes any documents or records that a public body is entitled to possessregardless of whether the public body takes possession. The public's right of access should not depend on where the requested records are physically located. Section 84-712.01(3) does not permit the City's nuanced dance around the public records statutes. As noted, however, the City urges us to follow the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Forsham. We have previously analogized decisions under the federal FOIA to construe Nebraska's public records statutes. [16] But a close look at Forsham provides little guidance. We believe a critical distinction exists between the judicial construction of the FOIA and § 84-712.01: The FOIA does not define the operative term, and Nebraska's definition of public records is less restrictive than the judicial qualifiers that the Supreme Court has imposed for disclosure under the FOIA. The FOIA defines record as any information that would be an agency record. [17] It does not define agency record. And a court can only order the production of any agency records improperly withheld. [18] The U.S. Supreme Court has stated that the word `withhold'... presupposes the actor's possession or control of the item withheld. [19] The Court has held that two requirements must be satisfied to show that requested materials qualify as agency records: (1) The agency must `create or obtain' the requested materials and (2) the agency must be in control of the requested materials at the time the FOIA request is made. [Control means] that the materials have come into the agency's possession in the legitimate conduct of its official duties. [20] In contrast to the U.S. Supreme Court's judicial create or obtain definitionwith its attendant possession requirementthe Nebraska Legislature more broadly defined public records to include documents or records of or belonging to a public body. And remember, nothing in § 84-712.01 requires a public body to have actual possession of a requested record. Further, Forsham simply does not address disclosure when a public body contractually delegates a governmental function to a private party and decides not to take possession of the written records. To determine whether a Nebraska public body is entitled to records in a private party's possession for purposes of disclosure, we look to other state court decisions.