Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 240 First Substitute (2024GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Bramble, C.

Final action

Governor Signed 2/28/2024

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• modifies the definition of "record";
• modifies a provision relating to records that may be classified as protected;
• authorizes a court to award an attorney fee and costs against a person, other than a governmental entity or political subdivision, that actively advocates in opposition to disclosure of a record, if the requester substantially prevails; and
• modifies a provision limiting an award of an attorney fee and costs to those incurred after a specified period.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

GOVERNMENT RECORDS ACCESS AND MANAGEMENT ACT
AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble
House Sponsor: 
Brady Brammer
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies provisions of the Government Records Access and Management Act.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ modifies the definition of "record";
▸ modifies a provision relating to records that may be classified as protected;
▸ authorizes a court to award an attorney fee and costs against a person, other than a
governmental entity or political subdivision, that actively advocates in opposition to
disclosure of a record, if the requester substantially prevails; and
▸ modifies a provision limiting an award of an attorney fee and costs to those incurred
after a specified period.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
63G-2-103
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapters 16, 173, 231, and 516
63G-2-107
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 173
63G-2-305
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapters 1, 16, 205, and 329
63G-2-802
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 388
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
63G-2-103
 is amended to read:
63G-2-103.
Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Audit" means:
(a) a systematic examination of financial, management, program, and related records
for the purpose of determining the fair presentation of financial statements, adequacy of
internal controls, or compliance with laws and regulations; or
(b) a systematic examination of program procedures and operations for the purpose of
determining their effectiveness, economy, efficiency, and compliance with statutes and
regulations.
(2) "Chronological logs" mean the regular and customary summary records of law
enforcement agencies and other public safety agencies that show:
(a) the time and general nature of police, fire, and paramedic calls made to the agency;
and
(b) any arrests or jail bookings made by the agency.
(3) "Classification," "classify," and their derivative forms mean determining whether a
record series, record, or information within a record is public, private, controlled, protected, or
exempt from disclosure under Subsection 
63G-2-201
(3)(b).
(4) (a) "Computer program" means:
(i) a series of instructions or statements that permit the functioning of a computer
system in a manner designed to provide storage, retrieval, and manipulation of data from the
computer system; and
(ii) any associated documentation and source material that explain how to operate the
computer program.
(b) "Computer program" does not mean:
(i) the original data, including numbers, text, voice, graphics, and images;
(ii) analysis, compilation, and other manipulated forms of the original data produced by
use of the program; or
(iii) the mathematical or statistical formulas, excluding the underlying mathematical
algorithms contained in the program, that would be used if the manipulated forms of the
original data were to be produced manually.
(5) (a) "Contractor" means:
(i) any person who contracts with a governmental entity to provide goods or services
directly to a governmental entity; or
(ii) any private, nonprofit organization that receives funds from a governmental entity.
(b) "Contractor" does not mean a private provider.
(6) "Controlled record" means a record containing data on individuals that is controlled
as provided by Section 
63G-2-304
.
(7) "Designation," "designate," and their derivative forms mean indicating, based on a
governmental entity's familiarity with a record series or based on a governmental entity's
review of a reasonable sample of a record series, the primary classification that a majority of
records in a record series would be given if classified and the classification that other records
typically present in the record series would be given if classified.
(8) "Elected official" means each person elected to a state office, county office,
municipal office, school board or school district office, special district office, or special service
district office, but does not include judges.
(9) "Explosive" means a chemical compound, device, or mixture:
(a) commonly used or intended for the purpose of producing an explosion; and
(b) that contains oxidizing or combustive units or other ingredients in proportions,
quantities, or packing so that:
(i) an ignition by fire, friction, concussion, percussion, or detonator of any part of the
compound or mixture may cause a sudden generation of highly heated gases; and
(ii) the resultant gaseous pressures are capable of:
(A) producing destructive effects on contiguous objects; or
(B) causing death or serious bodily injury.
(10) "Government audit agency" means any governmental entity that conducts an audit.
(11) (a) "Governmental entity" means:
(i) executive department agencies of the state, the offices of the governor, lieutenant
governor, state auditor, attorney general, and state treasurer, the Board of Pardons and Parole,
the Board of Examiners, the National Guard, the Career Service Review Office, the State
Board of Education, the Utah Board of Higher Education, and the State Archives;
(ii) the Office of the Legislative Auditor General, Office of the Legislative Fiscal
Analyst, Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, the Legislature, and legislative
committees, except any political party, group, caucus, or rules or sifting committee of the
Legislature;
(iii) courts, the Judicial Council, the Administrative Office of the Courts, and similar
administrative units in the judicial branch;
(iv) any state-funded institution of higher education or public education; or
(v) any political subdivision of the state, but, if a political subdivision has adopted an
ordinance or a policy relating to information practices pursuant to Section 
63G-2-701
, this
chapter shall apply to the political subdivision to the extent specified in Section 
63G-2-701
 or
as specified in any other section of this chapter that specifically refers to political subdivisions.
(b) "Governmental entity" also means:
(i) every office, agency, board, bureau, committee, department, advisory board, or
commission of an entity listed in Subsection (11)(a) that is funded or established by the
government to carry out the public's business;
(ii) as defined in Section 
11-13-103
, an interlocal entity or joint or cooperative
undertaking;
(iii) as defined in Section 
11-13a-102
, a governmental nonprofit corporation;
(iv) an association as defined in Section 
53G-7-1101
;
(v) the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission; and
(vi) a law enforcement agency, as defined in Section 
53-1-102
, that employs one or
more law enforcement officers, as defined in Section 
53-13-103
.
(c) "Governmental entity" does not include the Utah Educational Savings Plan created
in Section 
53B-8a-103
.
(12) "Gross compensation" means every form of remuneration payable for a given
period to an individual for services provided including salaries, commissions, vacation pay,
severance pay, bonuses, and any board, rent, housing, lodging, payments in kind, and any
similar benefit received from the individual's employer.
(13) "Individual" means a human being.
(14) (a) "Initial contact report" means an initial written or recorded report, however
titled, prepared by peace officers engaged in public patrol or response duties describing official
actions initially taken in response to either a public complaint about or the discovery of an
apparent violation of law, which report may describe:
(i) the date, time, location, and nature of the complaint, the incident, or offense;
(ii) names of victims;
(iii) the nature or general scope of the agency's initial actions taken in response to the
incident;
(iv) the general nature of any injuries or estimate of damages sustained in the incident;
(v) the name, address, and other identifying information about any person arrested or
charged in connection with the incident; or
(vi) the identity of the public safety personnel, except undercover personnel, or
prosecuting attorney involved in responding to the initial incident.
(b) Initial contact reports do not include follow-up or investigative reports prepared
after the initial contact report. However, if the information specified in Subsection (14)(a)
appears in follow-up or investigative reports, it may only be treated confidentially if it is
private, controlled, protected, or exempt from disclosure under Subsection 
63G-2-201
(3)(b).
(c) Initial contact reports do not include accident reports, as that term is described in
Title 41, Chapter 6a, Part 4, Accident Responsibilities.
(15) "Legislative body" means the Legislature.
(16) "Notice of compliance" means a statement confirming that a governmental entity
has complied with an order of the State Records Committee.
(17) "Person" means:
(a) an individual;
(b) a nonprofit or profit corporation;
(c) a partnership;
(d) a sole proprietorship;
(e) other type of business organization; or
(f) any combination acting in concert with one another.
(18) "Personal identifying information" means the same as that term is defined in
Section 
63A-12-100.5
.
(19) "Privacy annotation" means the same as that term is defined in Section
63A-12-100.5
.
(20) "Private provider" means any person who contracts with a governmental entity to
provide services directly to the public.
(21) "Private record" means a record containing data on individuals that is private as
provided by Section 
63G-2-302
.
(22) "Protected record" means a record that is classified protected as provided by
Section 
63G-2-305
.
(23) "Public record" means a record that is not private, controlled, or protected and that
is not exempt from disclosure as provided in Subsection 
63G-2-201
(3)(b).
(24) "Reasonable search" means a search that is:
(a) reasonable in scope and intensity; and
(b) not unreasonably burdensome for the government entity.
(25) (a) "Record" means a book, letter, document, paper, map, plan, photograph, film,
card, tape, recording, electronic data, or other documentary material regardless of physical form
or characteristics:
(i) that is prepared, owned, received, or retained by a governmental entity or political
subdivision; and
(ii) where all of the information in the original is reproducible by photocopy or other
mechanical or electronic means.
(b) "Record" does not mean:
(i) a personal note or personal communication prepared or received by an employee or
officer of a governmental entity:
(A) in a capacity other than the employee's or officer's governmental capacity; or
(B) that is unrelated to the conduct of the public's business;
(ii) a temporary draft or similar material prepared for the originator's personal use or
prepared by the originator for the personal use of an individual for whom the originator is
working;
(iii) material that is legally owned by an individual in the individual's private capacity;
(iv) material to which access is limited by the laws of copyright or patent unless the
copyright or patent is owned by a governmental entity or political subdivision;
(v) proprietary software;
(vi) junk mail or a commercial publication received by a governmental entity or an
official or employee of a governmental entity;
(vii) a book that is cataloged, indexed, or inventoried and contained in the collections
of a library open to the public;
(viii) material that is cataloged, indexed, or inventoried and contained in the collections
of a library open to the public, regardless of physical form or characteristics of the material;
(ix) a daily calendar
;
(x)
 [
or other personal
] 
a
 note prepared by the originator for the originator's [
personal
]
own
 use or for the [
personal
] 
sole
 use of an individual for whom the originator is working;
[
(x)
] 
(xi)
 a computer program that is developed or purchased by or for any
governmental entity for its own use;
[
(xi)
] 
(xii)
 a note or internal memorandum prepared as part of the deliberative process
by:
(A) a member of the judiciary;
(B) an administrative law judge;
(C) a member of the Board of Pardons and Parole; or
(D) a member of any other body, other than an association or appeals panel as defined
in Section 
53G-7-1101
, charged by law with performing a quasi-judicial function;
[
(xii)
] 
(xiii)
 a telephone number or similar code used to access a mobile
communication device that is used by an employee or officer of a governmental entity,
provided that the employee or officer of the governmental entity has designated at least one
business telephone number that is a public record as provided in Section 
63G-2-301
;
[
(xiii)
] 
(xiv)
 information provided by the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance
Program, created in Section 
49-20-103
, to a county to enable the county to calculate the
amount to be paid to a health care provider under Subsection 
17-50-319
(2)(e)(ii);
[
(xiv)
] 
(xv)
 information that an owner of unimproved property provides to a local
entity as provided in Section 
11-42-205
;
[
(xv)
] 
(xvi)
 a video or audio recording of an interview, or a transcript of the video or
audio recording, that is conducted at a Children's Justice Center established under Section
67-5b-102
;
[
(xvi)
] 
(xvii)
 child sexual abuse material, as defined by Section 
76-5b-103
;
[
(xvii)
] 
(xviii)
 before final disposition of an ethics complaint occurs, a video or audio
recording of the closed portion of a meeting or hearing of:
(A) a Senate or House Ethics Committee;
(B) the Independent Legislative Ethics Commission;
(C) the Independent Executive Branch Ethics Commission, created in Section
63A-14-202
; or
(D) the Political Subdivisions Ethics Review Commission established in Section
63A-15-201
; or
[
(xviii)
] 
(xix)
 confidential communication described in Section 
58-60-102
, 
58-61-102
,
or 
58-61-702
.
(26) "Record series" means a group of records that may be treated as a unit for
purposes of designation, description, management, or disposition.
(27) "Records officer" means the individual appointed by the chief administrative
officer of each governmental entity, or the political subdivision to work with state archives in
the care, maintenance, scheduling, designation, classification, disposal, and preservation of
records.
(28) "Schedule," "scheduling," and their derivative forms mean the process of
specifying the length of time each record series should be retained by a governmental entity for
administrative, legal, fiscal, or historical purposes and when each record series should be
transferred to the state archives or destroyed.
(29) "Sponsored research" means research, training, and other sponsored activities as
defined by the federal Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget:
(a) conducted:
(i) by an institution within the state system of higher education defined in Section
53B-1-102
; and
(ii) through an office responsible for sponsored projects or programs; and
(b) funded or otherwise supported by an external:
(i) person that is not created or controlled by the institution within the state system of
higher education; or
(ii) federal, state, or local governmental entity.
(30) "State archives" means the Division of Archives and Records Service created in
Section 
63A-12-101
.
(31) "State archivist" means the director of the state archives.
(32) "State Records Committee" means the State Records Committee created in
Section 
63G-2-501
.
(33) "Summary data" means statistical records and compilations that contain data
derived from private, controlled, or protected information but that do not disclose private,
controlled, or protected information.
Section 2. Section 
63G-2-107
 is amended to read:
63G-2-107.
Disclosure of records subject to federal law or other provisions of
state law.
(1) (a) The disclosure of a record to which access is governed or limited pursuant to
court rule, another state statute, federal statute, or federal regulation, including a record for
which access is governed or limited as a condition of participation in a state or federal program
or for receiving state or federal funds, is governed by the specific provisions of that statute,
rule, or regulation.
(b) Except as provided in [
Subsection (2)
] 
Subsections (2) and (3)
, this chapter applies
to records described in Subsection (1)(a) to the extent that this chapter is not inconsistent with
the statute, rule, or regulation.
(2) Except as provided in Subsection [
(3)
] 
(4)
, this chapter does not apply to a record
containing protected health information as defined in 45 C.F.R., Part 164, Standards for
Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information, if the record is:
(a) controlled or maintained by a governmental entity; and
(b) governed by 45 C.F.R., Parts 160 and 164, Standards for Privacy of Individually
Identifiable Health Information.
[
(c)
] 
(3)
 The disclosure of an education record
,
 as defined in the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act, 34 C.F.R. Part 99, that is controlled or maintained by a governmental
entity [
shall be
] 
is
 governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 34 C.F.R. Part
99.
[
(3)
] 
(4)
 This section does not exempt any record or record series from the provisions
of Subsection 
63G-2-601
(1).
Section 3. Section 
63G-2-305
 is amended to read:
63G-2-305.
Protected records.
The following records are protected if properly classified by a governmental entity:
(1) trade secrets as defined in Section 
13-24-2
 if the person submitting the trade secret
has provided the governmental entity with the information specified in Section 
63G-2-309
;
(2) commercial information or nonindividual financial information obtained from a
person if:
(a) disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to result in unfair
competitive injury to the person submitting the information or would impair the ability of the
governmental entity to obtain necessary information in the future;
(b) the person submitting the information has a greater interest in prohibiting access
than the public in obtaining access; and
(c) the person submitting the information has provided the governmental entity with
the information specified in Section 
63G-2-309
;
(3) commercial or financial information acquired or prepared by a governmental entity
to the extent that disclosure would lead to financial speculations in currencies, securities, or
commodities that will interfere with a planned transaction by the governmental entity or cause
substantial financial injury to the governmental entity or state economy;
(4) records, the disclosure of which could cause commercial injury to, or confer a
competitive advantage upon a potential or actual competitor of, a commercial project entity as
defined in Subsection 
11-13-103
(4);
(5) test questions and answers to be used in future license, certification, registration,
employment, or academic examinations;
(6) records, the disclosure of which would impair governmental procurement
proceedings or give an unfair advantage to any person proposing to enter into a contract or
agreement with a governmental entity, except, subject to Subsections (1) and (2), that this
Subsection (6) does not restrict the right of a person to have access to, after the contract or
grant has been awarded and signed by all parties:
(a) a bid, proposal, application, or other information submitted to or by a governmental
entity in response to:
(i) an invitation for bids;
(ii) a request for proposals;
(iii) a request for quotes;
(iv) a grant; or
(v) other similar document; or
(b) an unsolicited proposal, as defined in Section 
63G-6a-712
;
(7) information submitted to or by a governmental entity in response to a request for
information, except, subject to Subsections (1) and (2), that this Subsection (7) does not restrict
the right of a person to have access to the information, after:
(a) a contract directly relating to the subject of the request for information has been
awarded and signed by all parties; or
(b) (i) a final determination is made not to enter into a contract that relates to the
subject of the request for information; and
(ii) at least two years have passed after the day on which the request for information is
issued;
(8) records that would identify real property or the appraisal or estimated value of real
or personal property, including intellectual property, under consideration for public acquisition
before any rights to the property are acquired unless:
(a) public interest in obtaining access to the information is greater than or equal to the
governmental entity's need to acquire the property on the best terms possible;
(b) the information has already been disclosed to persons not employed by or under a
duty of confidentiality to the entity;
(c) in the case of records that would identify property, potential sellers of the described
property have already learned of the governmental entity's plans to acquire the property;
(d) in the case of records that would identify the appraisal or estimated value of
property, the potential sellers have already learned of the governmental entity's estimated value
of the property; or
(e) the property under consideration for public acquisition is a single family residence
and the governmental entity seeking to acquire the property has initiated negotiations to acquire
the property as required under Section 
78B-6-505
;
(9) records prepared in contemplation of sale, exchange, lease, rental, or other
compensated transaction of real or personal property including intellectual property, which, if
disclosed prior to completion of the transaction, would reveal the appraisal or estimated value
of the subject property, unless:
(a) the public interest in access is greater than or equal to the interests in restricting
access, including the governmental entity's interest in maximizing the financial benefit of the
transaction; or
(b) when prepared by or on behalf of a governmental entity, appraisals or estimates of
the value of the subject property have already been disclosed to persons not employed by or
under a duty of confidentiality to the entity;
(10) records created or maintained for civil, criminal, or administrative enforcement
purposes or audit purposes, or for discipline, licensing, certification, or registration purposes, if
release of the records:
(a) reasonably could be expected to interfere with investigations undertaken for
enforcement, discipline, licensing, certification, or registration purposes;
(b) reasonably could be expected to interfere with audits, disciplinary, or enforcement
proceedings;
(c) would create a danger of depriving a person of a right to a fair trial or impartial
hearing;
(d) reasonably could be expected to disclose the identity of a source who is not
generally known outside of government and, in the case of a record compiled in the course of
an investigation, disclose information furnished by a source not generally known outside of
government if disclosure would compromise the source; or
(e) reasonably could be expected to disclose investigative or audit techniques,
procedures, policies, or orders not generally known outside of government if disclosure would
interfere with enforcement or audit efforts;
(11) records the disclosure of which would jeopardize the life or safety of an
individual;
(12) records the disclosure of which would jeopardize the security of governmental
property, governmental programs, or governmental recordkeeping systems from damage, theft,
or other appropriation or use contrary to law or public policy;
(13) records that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the security or safety of a correctional
facility, or records relating to incarceration, treatment, probation, or parole, that would interfere
with the control and supervision of an offender's incarceration, treatment, probation, or parole;
(14) records that, if disclosed, would reveal recommendations made to the Board of
Pardons and Parole by an employee of or contractor for the Department of Corrections, the
Board of Pardons and Parole, or the Department of Health and Human Services that are based
on the employee's or contractor's supervision, diagnosis, or treatment of any person within the
board's jurisdiction;
(15) records and audit workpapers that identify audit, collection, and operational
procedures and methods used by the State Tax Commission, if disclosure would interfere with
audits or collections;
(16) records of a governmental audit agency relating to an ongoing or planned audit
until the final audit is released;
(17) records that are subject to the attorney client privilege;
(18) records prepared for or by an attorney, consultant, surety, indemnitor, insurer,
employee, or agent of a governmental entity for, or in anticipation of, litigation or a judicial,
quasi-judicial, or administrative proceeding;
(19) (a) (i) personal files of a state legislator, including personal correspondence to or
from a member of the Legislature; and
(ii) notwithstanding Subsection (19)(a)(i), correspondence that gives notice of
legislative action or policy may not be classified as protected under this section; and
(b) (i) an internal communication that is part of the deliberative process in connection
with the preparation of legislation between:
(A) members of a legislative body;
(B) a member of a legislative body and a member of the legislative body's staff; or
(C) members of a legislative body's staff; and
(ii) notwithstanding Subsection (19)(b)(i), a communication that gives notice of
legislative action or policy may not be classified as protected under this section;
(20) (a) records in the custody or control of the Office of Legislative Research and
General Counsel, that, if disclosed, would reveal a particular legislator's contemplated
legislation or contemplated course of action before the legislator has elected to support the
legislation or course of action, or made the legislation or course of action public; and
(b) notwithstanding Subsection (20)(a), the form to request legislation submitted to the
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel is a public document unless a legislator
asks that the records requesting the legislation be maintained as protected records until such
time as the legislator elects to make the legislation or course of action public;
(21) [
research requests from legislators to the Office of Legislative Research and
General Counsel or the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst
] 
a research request from a
legislator to a legislative staff member
 and research findings prepared in response to [
these
requests
] 
the request
;
(22) drafts, unless otherwise classified as public;
(23) records concerning a governmental entity's strategy about:
(a) collective bargaining; or
(b) imminent or pending litigation;
(24) records of investigations of loss occurrences and analyses of loss occurrences that
may be covered by the Risk Management Fund, the Employers' Reinsurance Fund, the
Uninsured Employers' Fund, or similar divisions in other governmental entities;
(25) records, other than personnel evaluations, that contain a personal recommendation
concerning an individual if disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy, or disclosure is not in the public interest;
(26) records that reveal the location of historic, prehistoric, paleontological, or
biological resources that if known would jeopardize the security of those resources or of
valuable historic, scientific, educational, or cultural information;
(27) records of independent state agencies if the disclosure of the records would
conflict with the fiduciary obligations of the agency;
(28) records of an institution within the state system of higher education defined in
Section 
53B-1-102
 regarding tenure evaluations, appointments, applications for admissions,
retention decisions, and promotions, which could be properly discussed in a meeting closed in
accordance with Title 52, Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act, provided that records of
the final decisions about tenure, appointments, retention, promotions, or those students
admitted, may not be classified as protected under this section;
(29) records of the governor's office, including budget recommendations, legislative
proposals, and policy statements, that if disclosed would reveal the governor's contemplated
policies or contemplated courses of action before the governor has implemented or rejected
those policies or courses of action or made them public;
(30) records of the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst relating to budget analysis,
revenue estimates, and fiscal notes of proposed legislation before issuance of the final
recommendations in these areas;
(31) records provided by the United States or by a government entity outside the state
that are given to the governmental entity with a requirement that they be managed as protected
records if the providing entity certifies that the record would not be subject to public disclosure
if retained by it;
(32) transcripts, minutes, recordings, or reports of the closed portion of a meeting of a
public body except as provided in Section 
52-4-206
;
(33) records that would reveal the contents of settlement negotiations but not including
final settlements or empirical data to the extent that they are not otherwise exempt from
disclosure;
(34) memoranda prepared by staff and used in the decision-making process by an
administrative law judge, a member of the Board of Pardons and Parole, or a member of any
other body charged by law with performing a quasi-judicial function;
(35) records that would reveal negotiations regarding assistance or incentives offered
by or requested from a governmental entity for the purpose of encouraging a person to expand
or locate a business in Utah, but only if disclosure would result in actual economic harm to the
person or place the governmental entity at a competitive disadvantage, but this section may not
be used to restrict access to a record evidencing a final contract;
(36) materials to which access must be limited for purposes of securing or maintaining
the governmental entity's proprietary protection of intellectual property rights including patents,
copyrights, and trade secrets;
(37) the name of a donor or a prospective donor to a governmental entity, including an
institution within the state system of higher education defined in Section 
53B-1-102
, and other
information concerning the donation that could reasonably be expected to reveal the identity of
the donor, provided that:
(a) the donor requests anonymity in writing;
(b) any terms, conditions, restrictions, or privileges relating to the donation may not be
classified protected by the governmental entity under this Subsection (37); and
(c) except for an institution within the state system of higher education defined in
Section 
53B-1-102
, the governmental unit to which the donation is made is primarily engaged
in educational, charitable, or artistic endeavors, and has no regulatory or legislative authority
over the donor, a member of the donor's immediate family, or any entity owned or controlled
by the donor or the donor's immediate family;
(38) accident reports, except as provided in Sections 
41-6a-404
, 
41-12a-202
, and
73-18-13
;
(39) a notification of workers' compensation insurance coverage described in Section
34A-2-205
;
(40) (a) the following records of an institution within the state system of higher
education defined in Section 
53B-1-102
, which have been developed, discovered, disclosed to,
or received by or on behalf of faculty, staff, employees, or students of the institution:
(i) unpublished lecture notes;
(ii) unpublished notes, data, and information:
(A) relating to research; and
(B) of:
(I) the institution within the state system of higher education defined in Section
53B-1-102
; or
(II) a sponsor of sponsored research;
(iii) unpublished manuscripts;
(iv) creative works in process;
(v) scholarly correspondence; and
(vi) confidential information contained in research proposals;
(b) Subsection (40)(a) may not be construed to prohibit disclosure of public
information required pursuant to Subsection 
53B-16-302
(2)(a) or (b); and
(c) Subsection (40)(a) may not be construed to affect the ownership of a record;
(41) (a) records in the custody or control of the Office of the Legislative Auditor
General that would reveal the name of a particular legislator who requests a legislative audit
prior to the date that audit is completed and made public; and
(b) notwithstanding Subsection (41)(a), a request for a legislative audit submitted to the
Office of the Legislative Auditor General is a public document unless the legislator asks that
the records in the custody or control of the Office of the Legislative Auditor General that would
reveal the name of a particular legislator who requests a legislative audit be maintained as
protected records until the audit is completed and made public;
(42) records that provide detail as to the location of an explosive, including a map or
other document that indicates the location of:
(a) a production facility; or
(b) a magazine;
(43) information contained in the statewide database of the Division of Aging and
Adult Services created by Section 
26B-6-210
;
(44) information contained in the Licensing Information System described in Title 80,
Chapter 2, Child Welfare Services;
(45) information regarding National Guard operations or activities in support of the
National Guard's federal mission;
(46) records provided by any pawn or secondhand business to a law enforcement
agency or to the central database in compliance with Title 13, Chapter 32a, Pawnshop,
Secondhand Merchandise, and Catalytic Converter Transaction Information Act;
(47) information regarding food security, risk, and vulnerability assessments performed
by the Department of Agriculture and Food;
(48) except to the extent that the record is exempt from this chapter pursuant to Section
63G-2-106
, records related to an emergency plan or program, a copy of which is provided to or
prepared or maintained by the Division of Emergency Management, and the disclosure of
which would jeopardize:
(a) the safety of the general public; or
(b) the security of:
(i) governmental property;
(ii) governmental programs; or
(iii) the property of a private person who provides the Division of Emergency
Management information;
(49) records of the Department of Agriculture and Food that provides for the
identification, tracing, or control of livestock diseases, including any program established under
Title 4, Chapter 24, Utah Livestock Brand and Anti-Theft Act, or Title 4, Chapter 31, Control
of Animal Disease;
(50) as provided in Section 
26B-2-408
:
(a) information or records held by the Department of Health and Human Services
related to a complaint regarding a child care program or residential child care which the
department is unable to substantiate; and
(b) information or records related to a complaint received by the Department of Health
and Human Services from an anonymous complainant regarding a child care program or
residential child care;
(51) unless otherwise classified as public under Section 
63G-2-301
 and except as
provided under Section 
41-1a-116
, an individual's home address, home telephone number, or
personal mobile phone number, if:
(a) the individual is required to provide the information in order to comply with a law,
ordinance, rule, or order of a government entity; and
(b) the subject of the record has a reasonable expectation that this information will be
kept confidential due to:
(i) the nature of the law, ordinance, rule, or order; and
(ii) the individual complying with the law, ordinance, rule, or order;
(52) the portion of the following documents that contains a candidate's residential or
mailing address, if the candidate provides to the filing officer another address or phone number
where the candidate may be contacted:
(a) a declaration of candidacy, a nomination petition, or a certificate of nomination,
described in Section 
20A-9-201
, 
20A-9-202
, 
20A-9-203
, 
20A-9-404
, 
20A-9-405
, 
20A-9-408
,
20A-9-408.5
, 
20A-9-502
, or 
20A-9-601
;
(b) an affidavit of impecuniosity, described in Section 
20A-9-201
; or
(c) a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy, described in Section
20A-9-408
;
(53) the name, home address, work addresses, and telephone numbers of an individual
that is engaged in, or that provides goods or services for, medical or scientific research that is:
(a) conducted within the state system of higher education, as defined in Section
53B-1-102
; and
(b) conducted using animals;
(54) in accordance with Section 
78A-12-203
, any record of the Judicial Performance
Evaluation Commission concerning an individual commissioner's vote, in relation to whether a
judge meets or exceeds minimum performance standards under Subsection 
78A-12-203
(4), and
information disclosed under Subsection 
78A-12-203
(5)(e);
(55) information collected and a report prepared by the Judicial Performance
Evaluation Commission concerning a judge, unless Section 
20A-7-702
 or Title 78A, Chapter
12, Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission Act, requires disclosure of, or makes public,
the information or report;
(56) records provided or received by the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office in
furtherance of any contract or other agreement made in accordance with Section 
63L-11-202
;
(57) information requested by and provided to the 911 Division under Section
63H-7a-302
;
(58) in accordance with Section 
73-10-33
:
(a) a management plan for a water conveyance facility in the possession of the Division
of Water Resources or the Board of Water Resources; or
(b) an outline of an emergency response plan in possession of the state or a county or
municipality;
(59) the following records in the custody or control of the Office of Inspector General
of Medicaid Services, created in Section 
63A-13-201
:
(a) records that would disclose information relating to allegations of personal
misconduct, gross mismanagement, or illegal activity of a person if the information or
allegation cannot be corroborated by the Office of Inspector General of Medicaid Services
through other documents or evidence, and the records relating to the allegation are not relied
upon by the Office of Inspector General of Medicaid Services in preparing a final investigation
report or final audit report;
(b) records and audit workpapers to the extent they would disclose the identity of a
person who, during the course of an investigation or audit, communicated the existence of any
Medicaid fraud, waste, or abuse, or a violation or suspected violation of a law, rule, or
regulation adopted under the laws of this state, a political subdivision of the state, or any
recognized entity of the United States, if the information was disclosed on the condition that
the identity of the person be protected;
(c) before the time that an investigation or audit is completed and the final
investigation or final audit report is released, records or drafts circulated to a person who is not
an employee or head of a governmental entity for the person's response or information;
(d) records that would disclose an outline or part of any investigation, audit survey
plan, or audit program; or
(e) requests for an investigation or audit, if disclosure would risk circumvention of an
investigation or audit;
(60) records that reveal methods used by the Office of Inspector General of Medicaid
Services, the fraud unit, or the Department of Health and Human Services, to discover
Medicaid fraud, waste, or abuse;
(61) information provided to the Department of Health and Human Services or the
Division of Professional Licensing under Subsections 
58-67-304
(3) and (4) and Subsections
58-68-304
(3) and (4);
(62) a record described in Section 
63G-12-210
;
(63) captured plate data that is obtained through an automatic license plate reader
system used by a governmental entity as authorized in Section 
41-6a-2003
;
(64) any record in the custody of the Utah Office for Victims of Crime relating to a
victim, including:
(a) a victim's application or request for benefits;
(b) a victim's receipt or denial of benefits; and
(c) any administrative notes or records made or created for the purpose of, or used to,
evaluate or communicate a victim's eligibility for or denial of benefits from the Crime Victim
Reparations Fund;
(65) an audio or video recording created by a body-worn camera, as that term is
defined in Section 
77-7a-103
, that records sound or images inside a hospital or health care
facility as those terms are defined in Section 
78B-3-403
, inside a clinic of a health care
provider, as that term is defined in Section 
78B-3-403
, or inside a human service program as
that term is defined in Section 
26B-2-101
, except for recordings that:
(a) depict the commission of an alleged crime;
(b) record any encounter between a law enforcement officer and a person that results in
death or bodily injury, or includes an instance when an officer fires a weapon;
(c) record any encounter that is the subject of a complaint or a legal proceeding against
a law enforcement officer or law enforcement agency;
(d) contain an officer involved critical incident as defined in Subsection
76-2-408
(1)(f); or
(e) have been requested for reclassification as a public record by a subject or
authorized agent of a subject featured in the recording;
(66) a record pertaining to the search process for a president of an institution of higher
education described in Section 
53B-2-102
, except for application materials for a publicly
announced finalist;
(67) an audio recording that is:
(a) produced by an audio recording device that is used in conjunction with a device or
piece of equipment designed or intended for resuscitating an individual or for treating an
individual with a life-threatening condition;
(b) produced during an emergency event when an individual employed to provide law
enforcement, fire protection, paramedic, emergency medical, or other first responder service:
(i) is responding to an individual needing resuscitation or with a life-threatening
condition; and
(ii) uses a device or piece of equipment designed or intended for resuscitating an
individual or for treating an individual with a life-threatening condition; and
(c) intended and used for purposes of training emergency responders how to improve
their response to an emergency situation;
(68) records submitted by or prepared in relation to an applicant seeking a
recommendation by the Research and General Counsel Subcommittee, the Budget
Subcommittee, or the Audit Subcommittee, established under Section 
36-12-8
, for an
employment position with the Legislature;
(69) work papers as defined in Section 
31A-2-204
;
(70) a record made available to Adult Protective Services or a law enforcement agency
under Section 
61-1-206
;
(71) a record submitted to the Insurance Department in accordance with Section
31A-37-201
;
(72) a record described in Section 
31A-37-503
;
(73) any record created by the Division of Professional Licensing as a result of
Subsection 
58-37f-304
(5) or 
58-37f-702
(2)(a)(ii);
(74) a record described in Section 
72-16-306
 that relates to the reporting of an injury
involving an amusement ride;
(75) except as provided in Subsection 
63G-2-305.5
(1), the signature of an individual
on a political petition, or on a request to withdraw a signature from a political petition,
including a petition or request described in the following titles:
(a) Title 10, Utah Municipal Code;
(b) Title 17, Counties;
(c) Title 17B, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities - Special Districts;
(d) Title 17D, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities - Other Entities; and
(e) Title 20A, Election Code;
(76) except as provided in Subsection 
63G-2-305.5
(2), the signature of an individual in
a voter registration record;
(77) except as provided in Subsection 
63G-2-305.5
(3), any signature, other than a
signature described in Subsection (75) or (76), in the custody of the lieutenant governor or a
local political subdivision collected or held under, or in relation to, Title 20A, Election Code;
(78) a Form I-918 Supplement B certification as described in Title 77, Chapter 38, Part
5, Victims Guidelines for Prosecutors Act;
(79) a record submitted to the Insurance Department under Section 
31A-48-103
;
(80) personal information, as defined in Section 
63G-26-102
, to the extent disclosure is
prohibited under Section 
63G-26-103
;
(81) an image taken of an individual during the process of booking the individual into
jail, unless:
(a) the individual is convicted of a criminal offense based upon the conduct for which
the individual was incarcerated at the time the image was taken;
(b) a law enforcement agency releases or disseminates the image:
(i) after determining that the individual is a fugitive or an imminent threat to an
individual or to public safety and releasing or disseminating the image will assist in
apprehending the individual or reducing or eliminating the threat; or
(ii) to a potential witness or other individual with direct knowledge of events relevant
to a criminal investigation or criminal proceeding for the purpose of identifying or locating an
individual in connection with the criminal investigation or criminal proceeding; or
(c) a judge orders the release or dissemination of the image based on a finding that the
release or dissemination is in furtherance of a legitimate law enforcement interest;
(82) a record:
(a) concerning an interstate claim to the use of waters in the Colorado River system;
(b) relating to a judicial proceeding, administrative proceeding, or negotiation with a
representative from another state or the federal government as provided in Section
63M-14-205
; and
(c) the disclosure of which would:
(i) reveal a legal strategy relating to the state's claim to the use of the water in the
Colorado River system;
(ii) harm the ability of the Colorado River Authority of Utah or river commissioner to
negotiate the best terms and conditions regarding the use of water in the Colorado River
system; or
(iii) give an advantage to another state or to the federal government in negotiations
regarding the use of water in the Colorado River system;
(83) any part of an application described in Section 
63N-16-201
 that the Governor's
Office of Economic Opportunity determines is nonpublic, confidential information that if
disclosed would result in actual economic harm to the applicant, but this Subsection (83) may
not be used to restrict access to a record evidencing a final contract or approval decision;
(84) the following records of a drinking water or wastewater facility:
(a) an engineering or architectural drawing of the drinking water or wastewater facility;
and
(b) except as provided in Section 
63G-2-106
, a record detailing tools or processes the
drinking water or wastewater facility uses to secure, or prohibit access to, the records described
in Subsection (84)(a);
(85) a statement that an employee of a governmental entity provides to the
governmental entity as part of the governmental entity's personnel or administrative
investigation into potential misconduct involving the employee if the governmental entity:
(a) requires the statement under threat of employment disciplinary action, including
possible termination of employment, for the employee's refusal to provide the statement; and
(b) provides the employee assurance that the statement cannot be used against the
employee in any criminal proceeding;
(86) any part of an application for a Utah Fits All Scholarship account described in
Section 
53F-6-402
 or other information identifying a scholarship student as defined in Section
53F-6-401
; and
(87) a record:
(a) concerning a claim to the use of waters in the Great Salt Lake;
(b) relating to a judicial proceeding, administrative proceeding, or negotiation with a
person concerning the claim, including a representative from another state or the federal
government; and
(c) the disclosure of which would:
(i) reveal a legal strategy relating to the state's claim to the use of the water in the Great
Salt Lake;
(ii) harm the ability of the Great Salt Lake commissioner to negotiate the best terms
and conditions regarding the use of water in the Great Salt Lake; or
(iii) give an advantage to another person including another state or to the federal
government in negotiations regarding the use of water in the Great Salt Lake.
Section 4. Section 
63G-2-802
 is amended to read:
63G-2-802.
Injunction -- Attorney fees and costs.
(1) 
As used in this section, "defending party" means:
(a) a governmental entity or political subdivision:
(i) whose access denial is the subject of a petition for judicial review under Section
63G-2-404
; and
(ii) that defends the access denial in an action for judicial review under Section
63G-2-404
; or
(b) a person, other than the governmental entity or political subdivision described in
Subsection (1)(a), that is party to the action for judicial review in opposition to disclosure of
the record that is the subject of judicial review.
(2)
 A district court in this state may enjoin any governmental entity or political
subdivision that violates or proposes to violate the provisions of this chapter.
[
(2)
] 
(3)
 (a) A district court may assess against [
any governmental entity or political
subdivision
] 
a defending party
 reasonable attorney fees and costs reasonably incurred in
connection with a judicial appeal to determine whether a requester is entitled to access to
records under a records request, if the requester substantially prevails.
(b) In determining whether to award attorney fees or costs under this section, the court
shall consider:
(i) the public benefit derived from the case;
(ii) the nature of the requester's interest in the records; and
(iii) whether the [
governmental entity's or political subdivision's
] 
defending party's
actions had a reasonable basis.
(c) Attorney fees and costs shall not ordinarily be awarded if the purpose of the
litigation is primarily to benefit the requester's financial or commercial interest.
[
(3)
] 
(4)
 Neither attorney fees nor costs may be awarded for fees or costs incurred
during administrative proceedings.
[
(4)
] 
(5)
 Notwithstanding Subsection [
(2)
] 
(3)
, a court may [
only
] award attorney fees
and costs incurred in connection with appeals to district courts under Subsection 
63G-2-404
(2)
only
 if the attorney fees and costs were incurred 20 or more days after the requester provided
[
to the governmental entity or political subdivision a statement of position that adequately
explains the basis for the requester's position
]
:
(a) an adequate explanation in writing of the basis for the requester's position,
regardless of whether the explanation is a part of or outside an administrative or court
proceeding; and
(b) to the governmental entity, political subdivision, or other person against which the
requester seeks an award of attorney fees and costs
.
[
(5)
] 
(6)
 Except for the waiver of immunity in Subsection 
63G-7-301
(2)(e), a claim for
attorney fees or costs as provided in this section is not subject to Chapter 7, Governmental
Immunity Act of Utah.
Section 5. 
Effective date.
(1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), this bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.
(2) If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes
effect upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
the date of veto override.