(1) Public records available. All public records of the commission shall be available for public inspection and copying unless exempt from disclosure under chapter 42.17 or 42.30 RCW.

(2) Public records officer. The commission's public records shall be under the charge of a public records officer designated by the chair. The public records officer shall be responsible for implementing the commission's rules and regulations regarding release of public records.

(3) Request for public records. Any member of the public may examine public records of the commission by directing a request to the public records officer. The public records officer shall comply with such request, unless he or she finds that the requested public records should not be disclosed for a reason permissible under chapter 42.17 RCW.

(4) Office hours. Public records shall be available for inspection and copying from 9:00 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, at the office of the commission, or, if no such office exists, at the office of the secretary.

(5) Copying. No fee shall be charged for the inspection of public records. The commission shall charge a fee of twenty-five cents per page of copy for providing copies of public records and for the use of the commission's copying equipment. This charge is the amount necessary to reimburse the commission for its actual costs incident to such copying.

(6) Access to public records. The commission reserves the right to determine that a requested public record is exempt from disclosure under the provisions of chapter 42.17 RCW. In addition, the commission reserves the right to delete identifying details when it makes available or publishes any record in any cases where there is reason to believe that disclosure of such details would be an invasion of personal privacy protected by chapter 42.17 RCW. All denials of public records shall be accompanied by a written statement specifying the reason for withholding the record and a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the record withheld.

(7) Records index. The secretary, or such staff of the commission designated by the chair, shall make available to all persons a current index which provides identifying information as to the following records issued, adopted or promulgated by the commission. The index shall contain such information as is required by RCW 42.17.260.