South Carolina Senate panel OKs bill requiring faster FOIA responses

A South Carolina bill that would force public bodies to respond more quickly to state Freedom of Information Act requests is headed to the Senate floor after approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The 17-1 vote for a favorable report on the bill comes after years of attempts by lawmakers to reach agreement on changes to the law governing access to public records in the state.

The legislation requires public bodies to respond to FOIA requests within 10 business days, down from the current 15 days. If the records at issue are older than two years, the agency would have 20 days to respond to an FOIA request under the bill. Continue…

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