Oct. 27, 2026 — The Washington Coalition for Open Government welcomes long-awaited improvements to the model rules for agencies to comply with the state Public Records Act.
The Washington state Attorney General’s Office on Monday filed the revised model rules, completing a process that began when media outlets petitioned the government in 2024.
The new rules make clear that "prompt" responses to public records requests are required, not optional, even if records are produced in installments.
They incorporate the longstanding requirement for diligence in processing records requests, as well as the voters' mandate for the "most timely possible action" on records requests – setting the correct tone for accountability to the people.
The new rules also discourage random estimates for disclosure delays, making clear that an agency's initial time estimate for producing records should be based on the particular request.
Another welcome change is making clear that, when a requested record is clearly not exempt from disclosure, it is improper to notify a third party of an opportunity to sue for a disclosure injunction.
And WCOG is pleased that for the first time, the model rules recognize that government officials have a duty to prevent destruction of public records and to make them available to public records officers – including by transferring records from private devices "as soon as practicable."
WashCOG submitted comments and testified at two public hearings on the revised model rules.
Contacts:
Colette Weeks, WashCOG executive director, cweeks@washcog.org
George Erb, WashCOG secretary, geoerb@seanet.com
