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R.I. lawmakers approve changes to public record laws

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June 21, 2008

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island lawmakers have endorsed the first major changes to the state's open records law, including hastening their release and specifying the information from arrest records police must make public.

Lawmakers approved the changes Saturday. They would take effect Sept. 1, if accepted by Gov. Don Carcieri.

The proposed law would decrease the time that public agencies have to respond to requests for public records, from 10 days to seven.

It would bar state agencies from requiring those seeking the information to provide personally identifiable details or stating the reason for their request.

The bill lists the basic information that police must release about arrests within 24 hours. It also orders that police release narratives of arrest reports within seven days.

Arrest records are some of the most commonly requested public records.

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