Beacon Hill Committee Weighs Public Records Changes

A legislative committee is considering a number of changes to the state’s open meeting and public records laws.

*Two bills are being filed by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, who says the measures would improve access to public records.

One bill (S1575) would make it routine for records to be provided in an electronic format and for information to be posted online, which Eldridge indicated would also cut costs. The other (S1576) would reduce the fees those requesting records must pay.

“Right now it’s very easy for state agencies to deny this information when it’s requested by members of the public, and we want to make it as transparent and accessible as possible,” he said.

*Correction: An earlier version of this post detailed a bill that was incorrectly stated to be filed by Eldridge. The post has been updated to reflect the correct content of his bills.