In a statement released on Thursday, state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, announced he introduced legislation aimed at making the Washington state government more “open, transparent and accountable to citizens.”
House Bill 1856 would commission a legislative task force and a study on the establishment of a Washington Office of Transparency Ombuds, which would serve as a nonpartisan and independent agency tasked with helping Washingtonians access public records.
“The decisions made every day by elected officials and government agencies impact the lives of millions of people in Washington,” Abbarno said. “The people have a right to know how these decisions are made. Barriers to public records are not only costly to taxpayers — they’re a disservice to good government.”
In 1972, Washington voters passed Initiative 276, creating the Public Records Act, which required most records maintained by state, county and municipal governments be made available to the public. According to Abbarno’s statement, at the time the law included only 10 exemptions from public disclosure while today there are over 500 exemptions. During the 2023 legislative session, Abbarno said the state House has passed five bills expanding or creating new exemptions.
Under current law, when a legislator or state agency refuses to comply with a public records request from a member of the public, the only recourse is through the legal system to resolve disputes. Abbarno claims the current system has cost taxpayers and state agencies over $100 million, plus legal fees and costs.
“The Public Records Act process is becoming more complex and costly for both requesters of records and the public agency,” Abbarno said. “And with complexity, records are less accessible, agencies less transparent, and government less accountable. The task force is a positive step for our state to implement a better process for access and adjudication of these record requests.”
The bill would create a 12-member Joint Legislative Committee on Transparency, which would be composed of two members of the state House and two members of the state Senate, each appointed by one of the four legislative party leaders. The committee would be chaired by the chair of the Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee. Other members would include representatives of media organizations, the governor, the state attorney general and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee.
Under the bill, a study would also be conducted to determine the efficacy of establishing a Washington Office of Transparency Ombuds as an independent state agency to assist individuals with accessing public records.
“The people of Washington deserve a more open, transparent, and accountable government, and House Bill 1856 is an important step in that direction,” Abbarno said. “Other states struggle with the same issues and Washington state has an opportunity to be an open government trailblazer.”
Abbarno plans to work to pass HB 1856 during the 2024 legislative session, as key legislative deadlines have already passed for the 2023 session.
