Delaware Public Records Law

= Short Description =

Who is covered?

 * Governor: covered
 * Courts: covered
 * Legislature: not covered
 * Advisory Committees: covered

What is the process like?

 * State agencies are required to respond to requests within fifteen business days. Agencies are allowed to charge search fees, including charging for staff time dedicated to copying and duplicating records.

Most recent changes?
= Legislation =

The following are bills introduced in 2011:


 * HB 5 - A bill to require agencies to respond to public records requests within 15 days.
 * HB 176 - A bill that clarifies that the term “public record” as it appears in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) includes information collected or compiled by a State agency regarding the hours worked in a merit position held by an elected official who is also a State merit system employee. ‘Information collected or compiled’ includes but is not limited to electronic-swipe and other time-clock documents that record when an employee enters or exits the workplace.
 * HB 126 - This Act defines “public body”, “public record” and “meeting” to include the University of Delaware and Delaware State University, and their respective Board of Trustees.
 * HB 118 - This is the first leg of a constitutional amendment that requires the General Assembly to have meetings and public records open to the public. As a constitutional amendment, future General Assemblies will be subject to open meeting and open public record laws.

= Articles, Blog Posts, etc =
 * Water authority again denies public records request - Dover Post, May 31, 2011