Decades Old Information Act Gets 21st Century Update
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- A bill to update Maryland's public information act is heading to the governor's desk.
The General Assembly passed the measure on Monday in the waning hours of the 2015 session.
Among the changes to the Maryland Public Information Act, which hasn't been updated since 1970, the bill creates a five-member compliance board to address fee disputes, and establishes an ombudsman position to handle disagreements between government agencies and members of the public attempting to access records.
The bill was amended to narrow language regarding fees to "actual costs" to produce records.
The measure was also stripped of language that required the Department of Agriculture to maintain waste management reports for some farms.
Critics had worried a farm's identity could have been discovered based on the original language.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
