Open Public Meetings Act
Frequently Asked Questions

Government business is the business of the people. These acts ensure that citizens have the right to see public documents and go to public meetings.

No. Exemptions are not mandatory. They are to be narrowly construed to favor citizen access. There is no penalty for releasing public documents or opening public meetings that an exemption could have barred. There are, however, statutes outside the Public Disclosure Act that expressly prohibit disclosure of certain records. These usually refer to a very specific type of record. Court records, for example, are controlled by rules of the court and the judges seated on the courts.

Local ordinances that conflict with state public disclosure and open meetings laws are void.

A government agency is considered to be “meeting” when a majority of its members are talking about or taking action upon any matter within the scope of the governmental body’s policy-making duties. That, too, is a broad definition, consistent with the law’s emphasis on openness. Many city councils, for example, have committees whose membership constitutes fewer that a majority of the council. These meetings are open public meetings, however, even though the “decisions” or “recommendations” from the committee to the full council are not final. In Washington, the deliberative process of government, at all levels, is public.

No. School boards, city councils, etc., routinely invite comments and discussion from the general public, but they can say “No” to requests to talk and can place the time limits on comments.

As soon as the minutes are prepared. A public agency cannot deny access to the minutes because they have not been received or approved by agency members.

Some points to bear in mind:

1. The goal should be to assure access, not to file and win a lawsuit. Talk with the people involved about the presumption of openness in Washington laws. Try to work things out short of litigation.

2. Talk with the attorney for the public agency to see if counsel thinks the law has been followed.

3. Document your efforts to get a record or attend a meeting where access is denied.

4. Seek the advice of an attorney not associated with the public agency involved. Often an attorney can briefly advise you at little or no charge.

5. If you file suit and are successful, the laws provide that you may recover reasonable attorney’s fees and in some cases monetary penalties.