LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Legislation to allow the government to declare a public records request as “unduly burdensome” and remove the 72-hour compliance deadline has failed in the Arkansas House.
The proposal failed to advance on a 33-32 vote Monday.
Currently, entities have three days to produce records under the Freedom of Information Act. The proposal would have allowed for up to 15 business days to comply with the records request.
The measure also would have shielded the government from criminal or civil liability for producing the records late if the amount of time is deemed reasonable under the circumstances.
The determination of what is unduly burdensome would have been based on various factors, including the number and volume of records requested and whether the request requires an extensive search.
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