Sunday, September 18, 2016

LET THE SUNSHINE IN.

Posted by Bob 

5 GCA GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS CH. 10 SUNSHINE REFORM ACT OF 1999  is an important provision of our law.  It provides:

"Public records are open to inspection at all times during the office hours of the agency and every person has a right to inspect any public record..." 

If you want to see a public record you can inspect it during working hours. You can save yourself some time though by giving a little advance notice. Check out some all of the act at Chapter 10 or a little more below.

5 GCA GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS CH. 10 SUNSHINE REFORM ACT OF 1999  
§ 10101. Short Title. This Chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the “Sunshine Reform Act of 1999.”

Definitions. As used in this Chapter:

(a) Agency means any authority of the government and includes a department, institution, board, bureau, commission, council, committee of Guam government, branch, autonomous instrumentality, public corporation funded by public taxes or funds, or other public entity of the government of Guam, whether or not it is within or subject to review by another agency.

(b) Director means the person directly responsible for overseeing the daily operations of an agency, or the person serving in an acting capacity as director at the time of any request for copies of public records.

(c) Person includes any natural person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm or association.

(d) Public records includes any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency in any format, including electronic format; and any out-of-court settlement records.

§ 10103. Right of Inspection of Public Documents.
(a) Every person has the right to inspect and take a copy of any public document on Guam, except as otherwise expressly prohibited in law, and except as provided in § 10108 of this Chapter.
(b) Public records are open to inspection at all times during the office hours of the agency and every person has a right to inspect any public record, except as hereafter provided. Any segregable portion of a record shall be available for inspection by any person requesting the record after deletion of the portions that are exempted by law.
(c) Except with respect to public records exempt from disclosure by express provisions of the law, each agency, upon a request for a copy of records that reasonably describes an identifiable record or records, shall make the records promptly available to any person, upon payment of fees covering direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee, if applicable. Upon request, an exact copy shall be provided, unless impracticable to do so.
                                                       
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