This bill amends sections 84-712 and 84-712.01 of the Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska to enhance access to public records by members of the Legislature. It prohibits charging any fees for official requests for public records made by legislators, ensuring that they can obtain necessary information without financial barriers. Additionally, the bill establishes a deadline for fulfilling such requests, mandating that custodians provide an estimate of expected costs and access to records within four business days of receiving a request. If the request cannot be fulfilled within this timeframe due to its complexity, custodians must provide a written explanation and an opportunity for the requester to modify the request.

The bill also harmonizes existing provisions regarding public records access and clarifies that public records include all documents belonging to state and local government entities, regardless of their physical form. It allows custodians to charge reasonable fees for specialized services, such as transmitting records electronically, but explicitly states that no fees shall be charged for requests made by members of the Legislature. The bill aims to promote transparency and facilitate the legislative process by ensuring that lawmakers have timely access to public information.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 84-712, 84-712.01