Voters approved the Public Disclosure Act by initiative in 1972. At the time, the act included only 10 exemptions from disclosure. Today, there are at least 300 exemptions (provided by Legislative staff).
The AGO requested a bill during the 2007 Legislative session to establish a Blue-Ribbon Committee to review all exemptions to the Public Disclosure Act on an annual basis. Senate Bill 5435 became law on July 22, 2007 creating the Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee. The "Sunshine Committee" will make recommendations to repeal or amend exemptions to the Public Records Act.
The Sunshine Committee meetings provide the opportunity for public testimony regarding exemptions currently being considered by the committee. If you are unable to give your testimony in person, but would like to offer comment on an exemption, you may do so online, or you may print out the comment form and mail it. Comments submitted online or mailed must be received two business days prior to the next scheduled meeting to be included in the written information provided to the committee.
The committee will be chaired by Michael Schwab.
CONTACT THE SUNSHINE COMMITTEE
Staff contact: Rebecca Podszus
Next Meetings:
What: Sunshine Committee Meeting
When: Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Time: 9 am - 1 pm
Where: John a. Cherberg Bldg., Conference Room ABC, Olympia, WA
March Agenda
New Evidence Rule for state courts
Sunshine Committee's 2013 meeting schedule
Schedule of ReviewEnacted Legislation:
SSB 5295 (Chapter 128, Laws of 2010)
Proposed Legislation:
2011-2012: SB 5049
Sunshine Committee Reports to the Legislature:
Members of the Committee include:
Honorable Michael Schwab (ret), Yakima County Superior Court Judge (Chair)
Senator Pam Roach
Representative Jeff Holy
Representative Lynn Kessler (ret) (1st Vice-Chair)
Timothy D. Ford, Assistant Attorney General (2nd Vice-Chair)
Rowland Thompson, Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington
Frank Garred
Roselyn Marcus, Office of Financial Management
Ramsey Ramerman, Assistant City Attorney, City of Everett
David Zeeck, The News Tribune
Peter Holmes, Seattle City Attorney
Representative Larry Springer
Full Committee roster
Additional information:
Sunshine Committee bylawsThe Code Reviser's Office has provided a list of public disclosure exemptions contained in the Revised Code of Washington. The information was provided in response to the directive in Section 2(7)(a), chapter 198, Laws of 2007 (Substitute Senate Bill No. 5435).
Join the Sunshine Committee Listserv for the latest news from the committee.