Nevada Open Records Act
From Sunshine Review
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The Nevada Open Records Act is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to public records of government bodies at all levels in Nevada.
The Nevada Open Meeting Law legislates the methods by which public meetings are conducted.
Nevada's transparency report card
A 2008 study, BGA - Alper Integrity Index, conducted by the Better Government Association and sponsored by Alper Services, ranked Nevada #34 in the nation (tied with North Dakota) with an overall percentage of 48.10%. [1]
A 2007 study, Graded state responsiveness to FOI requests, conducted by BGA and the NFOIC, gave Nevada 41 points out of a possible 100, a letter grade of "F", and a ranking of 35 out of the 50 states.[2]
A 2002 study, Freedom of Information in the USA, conducted by IRE and BGA, ranked Nevada's law as the 36th worst in the country, giving it a letter grade of "D+".[3]
Public Records
The stated purpose of the Nevada Open Records Act "is to foster democratic principles by providing members of the public with access to inspect and copy public books".[4]
Open Meetings
The stated purpose of the Nevada Open Meeting Law is "that all public bodies exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business. It is the intent of the law that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly."[5]
Who May Request Nevada Records?
Anyone may request public records in Nevada. "A person may request a copy of a public record". [6]
For requester residency requirements in other states, see the list of who can make public record requests by state.
Exemptions
Judges in Nevada have announced that they plan to seek exemption from general open records laws in 2009, and instead create their own set of rules regarding access to public records. Justice Jim Hardesty explains the reasoning, saying: "We want to do it by court rule because there are so many practical differences between the judiciary and the executive branch" [7].
See Also
External Links
- Nevada Revised Statutes Public Records Law
- Nevada Revised Statutes Open Meeting Law
- Open Government Guide to Nevada
- Nevada on WikiFOIA
References
- ↑ Integrity Index available for download here
- ↑ Graded state responsiveness to FOI requests, 2007
- ↑ Freedom of Information in the USA, 2002
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes Section 239.001
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes Section 241.010
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, 239.010
- ↑ Judge outlines legislative plans, Associated Press, September 24, 2008
