Chapter §22.8 Assistance by the Office of Attorney General

• Jurisdiction: Washington

§22.8 ASSISTANCE BY THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL

The OPMA authorizes the attorney general to "provide information, technical assistance, and training on the provisions of this chapter." RCW 42.30.210. The attorney general created the assistant attorney general for open government (ombudsman) position in January 2005 to assist citizens and agencies with PRA and OPMA compliance, consistent with the purposes of RCW 42.30.210.

The ombudsman is available to the public and to state and local agencies. The ombudsman's services include, but are not limited to, providing opinions interpreting the PRA and OPMA, informally mediating disputes, consulting with attorneys on litigation, providing training on these laws to state and local agencies, and representing the attorney general in legislative initiatives and on committees. Information regarding the open...