A Guide to Open Public Records
is available in all county offices and may be obtained free of charge.
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.
(b) Copies of public records shall be made while the records are in the possession, custody and control of the custodian or a person designated by the custodian and shall be made under the supervision of such custodian or person. When practical, copies shall be made in the place where the records are kept. If it is impractical to do so, the custodian shall allow arrangements to be made for use of other facilities. If it is necessary to use other facilities for copying, the cost thereof shall be paid by the person desiring a copy of the records. In addition, the public agency may charge the same fee for the services rendered in supervising the copying as for furnishing copies under subsection (c) and may establish a reasonable schedule of times for making copies at other facilities.
(c) Except as provided by subsection (f) or where fees for inspection or for copies of a public record are prescribed by statute, each public agency may prescribe reasonable fees for providing access to or furnishing copies of public records, subject to the following:
(1) In the case of fees for copies of records, the fees shall not exceed the actual cost of furnishing copies, including the cost of staff time required to make the information available.
(2) In the case of fees for providing access to records maintained on computer facilities, the fees shall include only the cost of any computer services, including staff time required.
(3) Fees for access to or copies of public records of public agencies within the legislative branch of the state government shall be established in accordance with K.S.A. 46-1207a and amendments thereto.
(4) Fees for access to or copies of public records of public agencies within the judicial branch of the state government shall be established in accordance with rules of the supreme court.
(5) Fees for access to or copies of public records of a public agency within the executive branch of the state government shall be established by the agency head. Any person requesting records may appeal the reasonableness of the fees charged for providing access to or furnishing copies of such records to the secretary of administration whose decision shall be final. A fee for copies of public records which is equal to or less than $.25 per page shall be deemed a reasonable fee.
(d) Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to K.S.A. 75-4215 and amendments thereto, each public agency within the executive branch of the state government shall remit all moneys received by or for it from fees charged pursuant to this section to the state treasurer in accordance with K.S.A. 75-4215 and amendments thereto. Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount thereof in the state treasury and credit the same to the state general fund or an appropriate fee fund as determined by the agency head.
(e) Each public agency of a political or taxing subdivision shall remit all moneys received by or for it from fees charged pursuant to this act to the treasurer of such political or taxing subdivision at least monthly. Upon receipt of any such moneys, such treasurer shall deposit the entire amount thereof in the treasury of the political or taxing subdivision and credit the same to the general fund thereof, unless otherwise specifically provided by law.
(f) Any person who is a certified shorthand reporter may charge fees for transcripts of such person's notes of judicial or administrative proceedings in accordance with rates established pursuant to rules of the Kansas supreme court.
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.
(b) A public agency may require a written request for inspection of public records but shall not otherwise require a request to be made in any particular form. Except as otherwise provided by subsection (c), a public agency shall not require that a request contain more information than the requester's name and address and the information necessary to ascertain the records to which the requester desires access and the requester's right of access to the records. A public agency may require proof of identity of any person requesting access to a public record. No request shall be returned, delayed or denied because of any technicality unless it is impossible to determine the records to which the requester desires access.
(c) If access to public records of an agency or the purpose for which the records may be used is limited pursuant to K.S.A. 21-3914 or 45-221, and amendments thereto, the agency may require a person requesting the records or information therein to provide written certification that:
(1) The requester has a right of access to the records and the basis of that right; or
(2) the requester does not intend to, and will not: (A) Use any list of names or addresses contained in or derived from the records or information for the purpose of selling or offering for sale any property or service to any person listed or to any person who resides at any address listed; or (B) sell, give or otherwise make available to any person any list of names or addresses contained in or derived from the records or information for the purpose of allowing that person to sell or offer for sale any property or service to any person listed or to any person who resides at any address listed.
(d) A public agency shall establish, for business days when it does not maintain regular office hours, reasonable hours when persons may inspect and obtain copies of the agency's records. The public agency may require that any person desiring to inspect or obtain copies of the agency's records during such hours so notify the agency, but such notice shall not be required to be in writing and shall not be required to be given more than 24 hours prior to the hours established for inspection and obtaining copies.
(e) Each official custodian of public records shall designate such persons as necessary to carry out the duties of custodian under this act and shall ensure that a custodian is available during regular business hours of the public agency to carry out such duties.
(f) Each public agency shall provide, upon request of any person, the following information:
(1) The principal office of the agency, its regular office hours and any additional hours established by the agency pursuant to subsection (c).
(2) The title and address of the official custodian of the agency's records and of any other custodian who is ordinarily available to act on requests made at the location where the information is displayed.
(3) The fees, if any, charged for access to or copies of the agency's records.
(4) The procedures to be followed in requesting access to and obtaining copies of the agency's records, including procedures for giving notice of a desire to inspect or obtain copies of records during hours established by the agency pursuant to subsection (c).
History: L. 1984, ch. 187, § 6; L. 1984, ch. 282, §3; April 26.
45-221. Certain records not required to be open; separation of open and closed information required; statistics and records over 70 years old open. (a) Except to the extent disclosure is otherwise required by law, a public agency shall not be required to disclose:
(1) Records the disclosure of which is specifically prohibited or restricted by federal law, state statute or rule of the Kansas supreme court 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 to restrict or prohibit disclosure.
(2) Records which are privileged under the rules of evidence, unless the holder of the privilege consents to the disclosure.
(3) Medical, psychiatric, psychological or alcoholism or drug dependency treatment records which pertain to identifiable patients.
(4) Personnel records, performance ratings or individually identifiable records pertaining to employees or applicants for employment, except that this exemption shall not apply to the names, positions, salaries and lengths of service of officers and employees of public agencies once they are employed as such.
(5) Information which would reveal the identity of any undercover agent or any informant reporting a specific violation of law.
(6) Letters of reference or recommendation pertaining to the character or qualifications of an identifiable individual.
(7) Library, archive and museum materials contributed by private persons, to the extent of any limitations imposed as conditions of the contribution.
(8) Information which would reveal the identity of an individual who lawfully makes a donation to a public agency, if anonymity of the donor is a condition of the donation.
(9) Testing and examination materials, before the test or examination is given or if it is to be given again, or records of individual test or examination scores, other than records which show only passage or failure and not specific scores.
(10) Criminal investigation records, except that the district court, in an action brought pursuant to K.S.A. 45-222, and amendments thereto, may order disclosure of such records, subject to such conditions as the court may impose, if the court finds that disclosure:
(A) Is in the public interest;
(B) would not interfere with any prospective law enforcement action;
(C) would not reveal the identity of any confidential source or undercover agent;
(D) would not reveal confidential investigative techniques or procedures not known to the general public;
(E) would not endanger the life or physical safety of any person; and
(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.
(11) Records of agencies involved in administrative adjudication or civil litigation, compiled in the process of detecting or investigating violations of civil law or administrative rules and regulations, if disclosure would interfere with a prospective administrative adjudication or civil litigation or reveal the identity of a confidential source or undercover agent.
(12) Records of emergency or security information or procedures of a public agency, or plans, drawings, specifications or related information for any building or facility which is used for purposes requiring security measures in or around the building or facility or which is used for the generation or transmission of power, water, fuels or communications, if disclosure would jeopardize security of the public agency, building or facility.
(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.
(14) Correspondence between a public agency and a private individual, other than correspondence which is intended to give notice of an action, policy or determination relating to any regulatory, supervisory or enforcement responsibility of the public agency or which is widely distributed to the public by a public agency and is not specifically in response to communications from such a private individual.
(15) Records pertaining to employer-employee negotiations, if disclosure would reveal information discussed in a lawful executive session under K.S.A. 75-4319, and amendments thereto.
(16) Software programs for electronic data processing and documentation thereof, but each public agency shall maintain a register, open to the public, that describes:
(A) The information which the agency maintains on computer facilities; and
(B) the form in which the information can be made available using existing computer programs.
(17) Applications, financial statements and other information submitted in connection with applications for student financial assistance where financial need is a consideration for the award.
(18) Plans, designs, drawings or specifications which are prepared by a person other than an employee of a public agency or records which are the property of a private person.
(19) Well samples, logs or surveys which the state corporation commission requires to be filed by persons who have drilled or caused to be drilled, or are drilling or causing to be drilled, holes for the purpose of discovery or production of oil or gas, to the extent that disclosure is limited by rules and regulations of the state corporation commission.
(20) Notes, preliminary drafts, research data in the process of analysis, unfunded grant proposals, memoranda, recommendations or other records in which opinions are expressed or policies or actions are proposed, except that this exemption shall not apply when such records are publicly cited or identified in an open meeting or in an agenda of an open meeting.
(21) Records of a public agency having legislative powers, which records pertain to proposed legislation or amendments to proposed legislation, except that this exemption shall not apply when such records are:
(A) Publicly cited or identified in an open meeting or in an agenda of an open meeting; or
(B) distributed to a majority of a quorum of any body which has authority to take action or make recommendations to the public agency with regard to the matters to which such records pertain.
(22) Records of a public agency having legislative powers, which records pertain to research prepared for one or more members of such agency, except that this exemption shall not apply when such records are:
(A) Publicly cited or identified in an open meeting or in an agenda of an open meeting; or
(B) distributed to a majority of a quorum of any body which has authority to take action or make recommendations to the public agency with regard to the matters to which such records pertain.
(23) Library patron and circulation records which pertain to identifiable individuals.
(24) Records which are compiled for census or research purposes and which pertain to identifiable individuals.
(25) Records which represent and constitute the work product of an attorney.
(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.
(27) Specifications for competitive bidding, until the specifications are officially approved by the public agency.
(28) Sealed bids and related documents, until a bid is accepted or all bids rejected.
(29) Correctional records pertaining to an identifiable inmate or release, except that:
(A) The name; photograph and other identifying information; sentence data; parole eligibility date; custody or supervision level; disciplinary record; supervision violations; conditions of supervision, excluding requirements pertaining to mental health or substance abuse counseling; location of facility where incarcerated or location of parole office maintaining supervision and address of a releasee whose crime was committed after the effective date of this act shall be subject to disclosure to any person other than another inmate or releasee, except that the disclosure of the location of an inmate transferred to another state pursuant to the interstate corrections compact shall be at the discretion of the secretary of corrections;
(B) the ombudsman of corrections, the attorney general, law enforcement agencies, counsel for the inmate to whom the record pertains and any county or district attorney shall have access to correctional records to the extent otherwise permitted by law;
(C) the information provided to the law enforcement agency pursuant to the sex offender registration act, K.S.A. 22-4901, et seq., and amendments thereto, shall be subject to disclosure to any person, except that the name, address, telephone number or any other information which specifically and individually identifies the victim of any offender required to register as provided by the Kansas offender registration act, K.S.A. 22-4901 et seq. and amendments thereto, shall not be disclosed; and
(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.
(30) Public records containing information of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
(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.
(32) Engineering and architectural estimates made by or for any public agency relative to public improvements.
(33) Financial information submitted by contractors in qualification statements to any public agency.
(34) Records involved in the obtaining and processing of intellectual property rights that are expected to be, wholly or partially vested in or owned by a state educational institution, as defined in K.S.A. 76-711, and amendments thereto, or an assignee of the institution organized and existing for the benefit of the institution.
(35) Any report or record which is made pursuant to K.S.A. 65-4922, 65-4923 or 65-4924, and amendments thereto, and which is privileged pursuant to K.S.A. 65-4915 or 65-4925, and amendments thereto.
(36) Information which would reveal the precise location of an archeological site.
(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.
(38) Risk-based capital reports, risk-based capital plans and corrective orders including the working papers and the results of any analysis filed with the commissioner of insurance in accordance with K.S.A. 40-2c20 and 40-2d20 and amendments thereto.
(39) Memoranda and related materials required to be used to support the annual actuarial opinions submitted pursuant to subsection (b) of K.S.A. 40-409, and amendments thereto.
(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.
(42) Any records the disclosure of which is restricted or prohibited by a tribal-state gaming compact.
(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.
(44) The amount of franchise tax paid to the secretary of state by domestic corporations, foreign corporations, domestic limited liability companies, foreign limited liability companies, domestic limited partnership, foreign limited partnership, domestic limited liability partnerships and foreign limited liability partnerships.
(45) Records the disclosure of which would pose a substantial likelihood of revealing security measures that protect: (A) Systems, facilities or equipment used in the production, transmission or distribution of energy, water or communications services; or (B) sewer or wastewater treatment systems, facilities or equipment. For purposes of this paragraph, security means measures that protect against criminal acts intended to intimidate or coerce the civilian population, influence government policy by intimidation or coercion or to affect the operation of government by disruption of public services, mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.
(b) Except to the extent disclosure is otherwise required by law or as appropriate during the course of an administrative proceeding or on appeal from agency action, a public agency or officer shall not disclose financial information of a taxpayer which may be required or requested by a county appraiser or the director of property valuation to assist in the determination of the value of the taxpayer's property for ad valorem taxation purposes; or any financial information of a personal nature required or requested by a public agency or officer, including a name, job description or title revealing the salary or other compensation of officers, employees or applicants for employment with a firm, corporation or agency, except a public agency. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit the publication of statistics, so classified as to prevent identification of particular reports or returns and the items thereof.
(c) As used in this section, the term "cited or identified" shall not include a request to an employee of a public agency that a document be prepared.
(d) If a public record contains material which is not subject to disclosure pursuant to this act, the public agency shall separate or delete such material and make available to the requester that material in the public record which is subject to disclosure pursuant to this act. If a public record is not subject to disclosure because it pertains to an identifiable individual, the public agency shall delete the identifying portions of the record and make available to the requester any remaining portions which are subject to disclosure pursuant to this act, unless the request is for a record pertaining to a specific individual or to such a limited group of individuals that the individuals' identities are reasonably ascertainable, the public agency shall not be required to disclose those portions of the record which pertain to such individual or individuals.
(e) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to exempt from public disclosure statistical information not descriptive of any identifiable person.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), any public record which has been in existence more than 70 years shall be open for inspection by any person unless disclosure of the record is specifically prohibited or restricted by federal law, state statute or rule of the Kansas supreme court or by a policy adopted pursuant to K.S.A. 72-6214, and amendments thereto.
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; July 1.