PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A group of state lawmakers are seeking to revamp Rhode Island’s government transparency law with an eye on making it easier for residents to access public records from state and local government.
State Sen. Louis DiPalma and Rep. Patricia Serpa, both Democrats, have filed legislation that would make a series of changes to the Access to Public Records Act, a state law that hasn’t seen an substantial change in a decade.
The law, also known as APRA, is a critical tool news outlets and the general public use to obtain documents created by public entities, such as state agencies, police and fire departments, schools, mayors’ offices, and public utility entities.
APRA is used often in news reporting, making headlines most recently when several news outlets including WPRI 12 requested emails from state transportation officials related to the days surrounding the Washington Bridge closure.
But the law contains more than 25 exemptions that allow officials to withhold certain material, such as personal health records, some legal documents and information tied to ongoing investigations. The list goes on.