The purpose of this chapter shall be to ensure compliance by the state finance committee with the provisions of chapter 1, Laws of 1973 (Initiative 276), Disclosure—Campaign finances—Lobbying—Records; and in particular with §§ 25-32 of that act, dealing with public records.

(1) Public records. "Public record" includes any writing containing information relating to the conduct of governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics.

(2) Writing. "Writing means handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing, and every other means of recording any form of communication or representation, including letters, words, pictures, sounds; or symbols, or combination thereof, and all paper, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films and prints, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums and other documents."

(3) State finance committee. The state finance committee is the committee established by chapter 43.33 RCW. The state finance committee shall hereinafter be referred to as the "committee." Where appropriate, the term state finance committee also refers to the staff and employees of the committee.

(1) State finance committee. The state finance committee is a state agency empowered to perform all duties prescribed by law with respect to the investment of trust and public funds. The administrative offices of the state finance committee and its staff are located at 314 Insurance Building, Olympia, Washington.

The state finance committee is charged with the duty to invest certain trust and public funds, as set forth in RCW 43.33.020, 43.33.025, 43.33.030, 51.44.100, and sections 12, 14, 15 and 16, chapter 103, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.

All public records of the state finance committee as defined in WAC 210-06-020 are deemed to be available for public inspection and copying pursuant to these rules, except as otherwise provided by section 31, chapter 1, Laws of 1973, and WAC 210-06-020.

The state finance committee's public records shall be in the charge of the public records officer designated by the agency. The person so designated shall be located in the administrative office of the agency. The public records officer shall be responsible for the following: The implementation of the state finance committee's rules and regulations regarding release of public records, coordinating the staff of the committee in this regard, and generally insuring compliance by the staff with the public records disclosures requirements of chapter 1, Laws of 1973.

Public records shall be available for inspection and copying during the customary office hours of the state finance committee. For the purposes of this chapter, the customary office hours shall be from 9:00 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday excluding legal holidays.

In accordance with requirements of chapter 1, Laws of 1973, that agencies prevent unreasonable invasions of privacy, protect public records from damage or disorganization, and prevent excessive interference with essential functions of the agency, public records may be inspected or copied or copies of such records may be obtained, by members of the public, upon compliance with the following procedures:

(1) A request shall be made in writing upon a form prescribed by the state finance committee which shall be available at its administrative office. The form shall be presented to the public records officer; or to any member of the committee's staff, if the public records officer is not available at the administrative office of the committee during customary office hours. The request shall include the following information:

(a) The name of the person requesting the record;

(b) The time of day and calendar date on which the request was made;

(c) The nature of the request;

(d) If the matter requested is referenced within the current index maintained by the records officer, a reference to the requested record as it is described in such current index;

(e) If the requested matter is not identifiable by reference to the committee's current index, an appropriate description of the record requested.

(2) In all cases in which a member of the public is making a request, it shall be the obligation of the public records officer or staff member to whom the request is made to assist the member of the public in appropriately identifying the public record requested.

No fee shall be charged for the inspection of public records. The committee shall charge a fee not to exceed 25 cents per page. This charge is the amount necessary to reimburse the committee for its actual costs incident to such copying.

(1) The committee reserves the right to determine that a public record requested in accordance with the procedures outlined in WAC 210-06-080 is exempt under the provisions of § 31, chapter 1, Laws of 1973.

(2) In addition, pursuant to § 26, chapter 1, Laws of 1973, the committee reserves the right to delete identifying details when it makes available or publishes any public record, in any cases when there is reason to believe that disclosure of such details would be an invasion of personal privacy protected by chapter 1, Laws of 1973. The public records officer will fully justify such deletion in writing.

(3) All denials of requests for public records must be accompanied by a written statement specifying the reason for the denial, including a statement of the specific exemption authorizing the withholding of the record and a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the record withheld.

(1) Any person who objects to the denial of a request for a public record may petition for prompt review of such decision by tendering a written request for review. The written request shall specifically refer to the written statement by the public records officer or other staff member which constituted or accompanied the denial.

(2) Immediately after receiving a written request for review of a decision denying a public record, the public records officer or other staff member denying the request shall refer it to the executive secretary of the committee. The executive secretary shall immediately consider the matter and either affirm or reverse such denial or call a special meeting of the state finance committee as soon as legally possible to review the denial. In any case, the request shall be returned with a final decision, within two business days following the original denial.

(3) Administrative remedies shall not be considered exhausted until the system has returned the petition with a decision or until the close of the second business day following denial of inspection, whichever occurs first.

(1) Index. The committee has available to all persons a current index which provides identifying information as to the following records issued, adopted or promulgated since June 30, 1972:

"(a) Final opinions, including concurring and dissenting opinions, as well as orders, made in the adjudication of cases;

"(b) Those statements of policy and interpretations of policy, statute and the constitution which have been adopted by the agency;

"(c) Administrative staff manuals and instructions to staff that affect a member of the public;

"(d) Planning policies and goals, and interim and final planning decisions;

"(e) Factual staff reports and studies, factual consultant's reports and studies, scientific reports and studies, and any other factual information derived from tests, studies, reports or surveys, whether conducted by public employees or others; and

"(f) Correspondence, and materials referred to therein, by and with the agency relating to any regulatory, supervisory or enforcement responsibilities of the agency, whereby the agency determines, or opines upon, or is asked to determine or opine upon, the rights of the state, the public, a subdivision of state government, or of any private party."

(2) Availability. The current index promulgated by the committee shall be available to all persons under the same rules and on the same conditions as are applied to public records available for inspection.

All communications with the committee including but not limited to the submission of materials pertaining to its operations and/or the administration or enforcement of chapter 1, Laws of 1973 and these rules; requests for copies of the committee's decisions and other matters, shall be addressed as follows: State Finance Committee, c/o Public Records Officer, 314 Insurance Building, Olympia, Washington 98504.

The committee hereby adopts for use by all persons requesting inspection and/or copying or copies of its records, the form attached hereto as Appendix A, entitled "Request for public record."