Utah Government Records Access and Management Act

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Contents

State sunshine
State laws
How to ask for records
Transparency headlines
Statutory changes
Notable FOIA requests
State sunshine lawsuits
State court cases
E-mail access
Private agency, public dollars
The WikiFOIA portal

The Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to public records of government bodies at all levels in Utah.

The Open and Public Meetings Act legislates the methods by which public meetings are conducted.

Utah's transparency report card

A 2008 study, BGA - Alper Integrity Index, conducted by the Better Government Association and sponsored by Alper Services, ranked Utah #36 in the nation (tied with New York) with an overall percentage of 47.30%. [1]

A 2007 study, Graded state responsiveness to FOI requests, conducted by BGA and the NFOIC, gave Utah 78 points out of a possible 100, a letter grade of "C", and a ranking of 4 out of the 50 states.[2]

A 2002 study, Freedom of Information in the USA, conducted by IRE and BGA, ranked Utah's law as the 3rd best in the country, giving it a letter grade of "B-".[3]

Public Records

Documents created by public bodies in Utah are open for inspection to any member of the public.

Open Meetings

"(1)The Legislature finds and declares that the state, its agencies and political subdivisions, exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business.

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the state, its agencies, and its political subdivisions:
(a) take their actions openly; and
(b) conduct their deliberations openly." [4]

Who May Request Utah Records?

Anyone may request public records in Utah. "Every person has the right to inspect a public record". [5]

For requester residency requirements in other states, see the list of who can make public record requests by state.

See Also

External Links

References

  1. Integrity Index available for download here
  2. Graded state responsiveness to FOI requests, 2007
  3. Freedom of Information in the USA, 2002
  4. Utah Code, 52-4-102
  5. Utah Code, 63-2-201

The Utah project on Sunshine Review