Chapter §12.7 Miscellaneous Service Exemptions

• Jurisdiction: Washington

§12.7 MISCELLANEOUS SERVICE EXEMPTIONS

Additional miscellaneous disclosure exemptions are discussed below.

(1) Inactive programs

Formerly, RCW 42.56.480 provided for three exemptions for "inactive programs" that were of limited utility and applicability. The statute was repealed by Laws of 2016, ch.182, §1.

(2) Correctional industries

An additional government service related exemption is provided in RCW 42.56.470 for records of correctional industries Class I work program participants or applicants for new or expanded programs. All of the records obtained in developing or expanding these programs under RCW 72.09.115 are exempt from production in response to a public records request.

(3) Archeology

Under RCW 42.56.300(1), the PRA exempts "records, maps, or other information identifying the location of archaeological sites in order to avoid the looting or depredation of such sites ...." Similarly, RCW 42.56.300(2) exempts the same categories of records, when acquired during watershed analysis for the forest and fish report, that identify "[archaeological sites, historic sites, artifacts, or the sites of traditional religions, ceremonial, or social uses and activities of affected Indian tribes ...," again to prevent looting or depredation. In 2014, RCW 42.56.300 was amended to add an exemption for site forms, reports, related data and GIS information obtained or shared by a state or local agency or tribal government if related to an archeological site, historical archeological resources, or traditional cultural places. RCW 42.56.300(3). Government agencies receiving a request from owners of the affected real property for these exempt records must refer the requestor to the...