PUBLIC RECORDS: AUDIO & VIDEO; MUNI COSTS

HB0377b -1- CSHB 377(CRA)
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CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 377(CRA)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Offered: 4/1/26
Referred: State Affairs

Sponsor(s): HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE BY REQUEST
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to public records; relating to managing and preserving audio and 1
video recordings; and relating to fees for the inspection and copying of public records 2
under the Alaska Public Records Act." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 40.21.150(6) is amended to read: 5
(6) "record" means any document, paper, book, letter, electronic mail, 6
drawing, map, plat, photo, photographic file, motion picture film, audio or video 7
recording, microfilm, microphotograph, exhibit, magnetic or paper tape, punched 8
card, electronic record, or other document of any other material, regardless of physical 9
form or characteristic, developed or received under law or in connection with the 10
transaction of official business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by an 11
agency or a political subdivision, as evidence of the organization, function, policies, 12
decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the state or political 13
subdivision or because of the informational value in them; the term does not include 14
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CSHB 377(CRA) -2- HB0377b
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library and museum material developed or acquired and preserved solely for reference, 1
historical, or exhibition purposes, extra copies of documents preserved solely for 2
convenience of reference, or stocks of publications and processed documents; 3
* Sec. 2. AS 40.25.110 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 4
(j) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, a municipality may require a requester 5
to pay the municipality's actual personnel costs to perform the search, review, 6
redaction, and copying tasks to complete a request for production of a record. The 7
personnel costs may not exceed the actual salary and benefit costs for the personnel 8
time required to complete the request. The requester shall pay the costs before the 9
records are disclosed, and the municipality may require payment in advance of the 10
search. 11
(k) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, the Department of Public Safety may 12
require a requester to pay the actual personnel costs of the Department of Public 13
Safety to perform the search, review, redaction, and copying tasks to complete a 14
request for production of a record. The personnel costs may not exceed the actual 15
salary and benefit costs for the personnel time required to complete the request. The 16
requester shall pay the costs before the records are disclosed, and the Department of 17
Public Safety may require payment in advance of the search. 18
* Sec. 3. AS 40.25.220(3) is amended to read: 19
(3) "public records" means books, papers, files, audio or video 20
recordings, accounts, writings, including electronic mail, drafts, [AND] 21
memorializations of conversations, and other items, regardless of format or physical 22
characteristics, that are developed or received by a public agency, or by a private 23
contractor for a public agency, and that are preserved for [THEIR] informational value 24
or as evidence of the organization or operation of the public agency; "public records" 25
does not include proprietary software programs. 26