Title 42 — Title 42 PUBLIC OFFICERS AND AGENCIES
20 chapters · 471 sections in this title.
RCW 42.56.310 Library records.
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Any library record, the primary purpose of which is to maintain control of library materials, or to gain access to information, that discloses or could be used to disclose the identity of a library user is exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2005 c 274 s 411.]
RCW 42.56.315 Certain student information.
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Information received by a school district superintendent, a designee of the superintendent, or a principal pursuant to RCW 28A.225.330, 9A.44.138, 13.04.155, 13.40.215, or 72.09.730 is exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2020 c 167 s 10.]
RCW 42.56.320 Educational information.
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The following educational information is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Financial disclosures filed by private vocational schools under chapters 28B.85 and 28C.10 RCW;(2) Financial and commercial information supplied by or on behalf of a person, firm, corporation, …
RCW 42.56.325 Statewide electronic repository for school meals.
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Household income information received by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, school district employees, or designees of either in accordance with the electronic repository established under RCW 28A.235.285 is exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2022 c …
RCW 42.56.330 Public utilities and transportation.
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The following information relating to public utilities and transportation is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Records filed with the utilities and transportation commission or attorney general under RCW 80.04.095 or 81.77.210 that a court has determined are confident…
RCW 42.56.335 Public utility districts and municipally owned electrical utilities—Restrictions on access by law enforcement authorities.
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A law enforcement authority may not request inspection or copying of records of any person who belongs to a public utility district or a municipally owned electrical utility unless the authority provides the public utility district or municipally owned electrical utility with a w…
RCW 42.56.350 Health professionals.
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(1) The federal social security number of individuals governed under chapter 18.130 RCW maintained in the files of the department of health is exempt from disclosure under this chapter. The exemption in this section does not apply to requests made directly to the department from …
RCW 42.56.355 Interstate medical licensure compact.
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(1) Information distributed to any Washington health profession board or commission by an interstate health professions licensure compact or member boards as described in RCW 18.71B.080(6) of the interstate medical licensure compact is exempt from disclosure under this chapter. T…
RCW 42.56.357 Interstate physician assistant licensure compact.
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(1) Information in documents distributed to the Washington medical commission by the interstate physician assistant licensure compact as described in RCW 18.71C.070(2), including identifying information, licensure data, adverse actions against a license or compact privilege, or l…
RCW 42.56.360 Health care.
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*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2192-S.SL) ***(1) The following health care information is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(a) Information obtained by the pharmacy quality assurance commission as provided in RCW 69.45.090;(b) Information obtained by the pharmacy quality ass…
RCW 42.56.365 Vital records.
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All or part of any vital records, reports, supporting documentation, vital statistics, data, or information contained therein under chapter 70.58A RCW are not subject to public inspection and copying under this chapter.[ 2019 c 148 s 39.]Notes:Effective date—Rule-making authority…
RCW 42.56.370 Client records of domestic violence programs, or community sexual assault programs or services for underserved populations.
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Client records maintained by an agency that is a domestic violence program as defined in RCW 70.123.020 or 70.123.075 or a community sexual assault program or services for underserved populations as defined in RCW 70.125.030 are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2012 c …
RCW 42.56.375 Sexual misconduct—Postsecondary educational institutions—Personal information of witnesses and victims.
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(1) For the purposes of RCW 28B.112.040 through 28B.112.080 regarding postsecondary educational institutions, personal identifying information in an employee personnel file, student file, investigation file, settlement agreement, or other files held by a postsecondary educational…
RCW 42.56.380 Agriculture and livestock.
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The following information relating to agriculture and livestock is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Business-related information under RCW 15.86.110;(2) Information provided under RCW 15.54.362;(3) Production or sales records required to determine assessment levels a…
RCW 42.56.390 Emergency or transitional housing.
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Names of individuals residing in emergency or transitional housing that are furnished to the department of revenue or a county assessor in order to substantiate a claim for property tax exemption under RCW 84.36.043 are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2005 c 274 s 419…
RCW 42.56.395 Affordable housing occupants and tenants.
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Information obtained by the department of commerce under chapter 43.185A RCW during monitoring activities or contract administration that reveals the name or other personal information of occupants or prospective tenants of affordable housing, or the street address of the residen…
RCW 42.56.400 Insurance and financial institutions.
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The following information relating to insurance and financial institutions is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Records maintained by the board of industrial insurance appeals that are related to appeals of crime victims' compensation claims filed with the board under…
RCW 42.56.403 Property and casualty insurance statements of actuarial opinion.
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Documents, materials, and information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.05.385(2) are confidential and privileged and not subject to public disclosure under this chapter.[ 2006 c 25 s 3.]Notes:Short title—2006 c 25 ss 1-3: See note following RCW 48.05.383.Effect…
RCW 42.56.410 Employment security department records, certain purposes.
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The following information related to employment security is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Records maintained by the employment security department and subject to chapter 50.13 or 50A.25 RCW if provided to another individual or organization for operational, researc…
RCW 42.56.420 Security.
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The following information relating to security is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Those portions of records assembled, prepared, or maintained to prevent, mitigate, or respond to criminal terrorist acts, which are acts that significantly disrupt the conduct of gover…
RCW 42.56.422 Office of cybersecurity—Reports and information.
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The reports and information compiled pursuant to RCW 43.105.450 and section 7, chapter 291, Laws of 2021 are confidential and may not be disclosed under this chapter.[ 2021 c 291 s 8.]
RCW 42.56.423 Cybersecurity advisory committee and technology services board security subcommittee.
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The reports and information, or any portions thereof, that are designated confidential by the cybersecurity advisory committee under RCW 38.52.040(4) and the technology services board security subcommittee under RCW 43.105.291 are confidential and may not be disclosed under this …
RCW 42.56.425 Election security.
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*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5892.SL) ***(1) The following information related to election security is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(a) The continuity of operations plan for election operations and any security audits, security risk assessments, or security test resul…
RCW 42.56.430 Fish and wildlife.
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The following information relating to fish and wildlife is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Commercial fishing catch data from logbooks required to be provided to the department of fish and wildlife under RCW 77.12.047, when the data identifies specific catch locatio…
RCW 42.56.440 Veterans' discharge papers—Exceptions.
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(1) Discharge papers of a veteran of the armed forces of the United States filed at the office of the county auditor before July 1, 2002, that have not been commingled with other recorded documents are exempt from disclosure under this chapter. These records will be available onl…
RCW 42.56.450 Check cashers and sellers licensing applications.
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Information in an application for licensing or a small loan endorsement under chapter 31.45 RCW regarding the personal residential address, telephone number of the applicant, or financial statement is exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2005 c 274 s 425.]
RCW 42.56.460 Fireworks and explosives.
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(1) All records obtained and all reports produced as required by state fireworks law, chapter 70.77 RCW, are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.(2) All records obtained and all reports submitted as required by the Washington state explosives act, chapter 70.74 RCW, are exe…
RCW 42.56.470 Correctional industries workers.
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All records, documents, data, and other materials obtained under the requirements of RCW 72.09.115 from an existing correctional industries class I work program participant or an applicant for a proposed new or expanded class I correctional industries work program are exempt from…
RCW 42.56.475 Department of corrections and private detention facilities.
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(1) The following information or records created or maintained by the department of corrections or a private detention facility is exempt from public inspection and copying under this chapter:(a) Body scanner images from any system designed to detect and visualize contraband hidd…
RCW 42.56.510 Duty to disclose or withhold information—Otherwise provided.
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Nothing in RCW 42.56.250 and 42.56.330 shall affect a positive duty of an agency to disclose or a positive duty to withhold information which duty to disclose or withhold is contained in any other law.[ 2005 c 274 s 287; 1991 c 23 s 11; 1990 c 256 s 2; 1987 c 404 s 3. Formerly RC…
RCW 42.56.520 Prompt responses required.
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(1) Responses to requests for public records shall be made promptly by agencies, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives. Within five business days of receiving a public record request, an agency, the office of …
RCW 42.56.530 Review of agency denial.
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Whenever a state agency concludes that a public record is exempt from disclosure and denies a person opportunity to inspect or copy a public record for that reason, the person may request the attorney general to review the matter. The attorney general shall provide the person wit…
RCW 42.56.540 Court protection of public records.
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The examination of any specific public record may be enjoined if, upon motion and affidavit by an agency or its representative or a person who is named in the record or to whom the record specifically pertains, the superior court for the county in which the movant resides or in w…
RCW 42.56.550 Judicial review of agency actions.
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(1) Upon the motion of any person having been denied an opportunity to inspect or copy a public record by an agency, the superior court in the county in which a record is maintained may require the responsible agency to show cause why it has refused to allow inspection or copying…
RCW 42.56.556 Failure to provide recording of school district board of directors meeting.
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The failure to provide a recording of a school district board of directors meeting that is required to be recorded under RCW 42.30.035(2) shall not be a basis for finding that a requester has been denied an opportunity to inspect or copy a public record if the recording, despite …
RCW 42.56.560 Application of RCW 42.56.550.
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The procedures in RCW 42.56.550 govern denials of an opportunity to inspect or copy a public record by the office of the secretary of the senate or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives.[ 2005 c 274 s 289; 1995 c 397 s 16. Formerly RCW 42.17.341.]
RCW 42.56.565 Inspection or copying by persons serving criminal sentences—Injunction.
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(1) A court shall not award penalties under RCW 42.56.550(4) to a person who was serving a criminal sentence in a state, local, or privately operated correctional facility on the date the request for public records was made, unless the court finds that the agency acted in bad fai…
RCW 42.56.570 Explanatory pamphlet—Advisory model rules—Consultation and training services.
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(1) The attorney general's office shall publish, and update when appropriate, a pamphlet, written in plain language, explaining this chapter.(2) The attorney general, by February 1, 2006, shall adopt by rule advisory model rules for state and local agencies, as defined in RCW 42.…
RCW 42.56.580 Public records officers.
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(1) Each state and local agency shall appoint and publicly identify a public records officer whose responsibility is to serve as a point of contact for members of the public in requesting disclosure of public records and to oversee the agency's compliance with the public records …
RCW 42.56.590 Personal information—Notice of security breaches.
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(1) Any agency that owns or licenses data that includes personal information shall disclose any breach of the security of the system to any resident of this state whose personal information was, or is reasonably believed to have been, acquired by an unauthorized person and the pe…
RCW 42.56.592 Personal information—Covered entities.
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A covered entity under the federal health insurance portability and accountability act of 1996, Title 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1320d et seq., is deemed to have complied with the requirements of this chapter with respect to protected health information if it has complied with section 13402 …
RCW 42.56.594 Personal information—Consumer protection.
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(1) Any waiver of the provisions of RCW 42.56.590 or 42.56.592 is contrary to public policy, and is void and unenforceable.(2)(a) Any consumer injured by a violation of RCW 42.56.590 may institute a civil action to recover damages.(b) Any agency that violates, proposes to violate…
RCW 42.56.600 Mediation communications.
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Records of mediation communications that are privileged under chapter 7.07 RCW are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2006 c 209 s 15.]
RCW 42.56.610 Certain information from dairies and feedlots limited—Rules.
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The following information in plans, records, and reports obtained by state and local agencies from dairies, animal feeding operations, and concentrated animal feeding operations, not required to apply for a national pollutant discharge elimination system permit is disclosable onl…
RCW 42.56.615 Enumeration data used by the office of financial management for population estimates.
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Actual enumeration data collected under RCW 35.13.260, 35A.14.700, 36.13.030, and chapter 43.62 RCW shall be used and retained only by the office of financial management and only for the purposes of RCW 35.13.260, 35A.14.700, 36.13.030, and chapter 43.62 RCW. The enumeration data…
RCW 42.56.620 Cannabis research licensee reports.
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Reports submitted by cannabis research licensees in accordance with rules adopted by the state liquor and cannabis board under RCW 69.50.372 that contain proprietary information are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2022 c 16 s 29; 2015 2nd sp.s. c 4 s 1504; 2015 c 71 s…
RCW 42.56.625 Medical cannabis authorization database.
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Records in the medical cannabis authorization database established in RCW 69.51A.230 containing names and other personally identifiable information of qualifying patients and designated providers are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2022 c 16 s 30; 2015 c 70 s 22.]Note…
RCW 42.56.630 Registration information of members of cooperatives to produce and process medical cannabis.
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(1) Registration information submitted to the state liquor and cannabis board under RCW 69.51A.250 including the names of all participating members of a cooperative, copies of each member's recognition card, location of the cooperative, and other information required for registra…
RCW 42.56.640 Vulnerable individuals, in-home caregivers for vulnerable populations.
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(1) Sensitive personal information of vulnerable individuals and sensitive personal information of in-home caregivers for vulnerable populations is exempt from inspection and copying under this chapter.(2) The following definitions apply to this section:(a) "In-home caregivers fo…
RCW 42.56.645 Release of public information—2017 c 4 (Initiative Measure No. 1501).
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[(1)] Nothing in chapter 4, Laws of 2017 shall prevent the release of public information in the following circumstances:(a) The information is released to a governmental body, including the state's area agencies on aging, and the recipient agrees to protect the confidentiality of…