Bill Text: MI SB0716 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Civil rights; public records; legislative branch and governor's office; include as public bodies subject to the freedom of information act. Amends sec. 2 of 1976 PA 442 (MCL 15.232).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-21 - Referred To Committee On Government Operations [SB0716 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2015-SB0716-Introduced.html

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE BILL No. 716

 

 

January 21, 2016, Introduced by Senators YOUNG, HERTEL, WARREN, KNEZEK, GREGORY, BIEDA, ANANICH, HOPGOOD, HOOD, JOHNSON and SMITH and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 442, entitled

 

"Freedom of information act,"

 

by amending section 2 (MCL 15.232), as amended by 1996 PA 553.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Field name" means the label or identification of an

 

element of a computer data base database that contains a specific

 

item of information, and includes but is not limited to a subject

 

heading such as a column header, data dictionary, or record layout.

 

     (b) "FOIA coordinator" means either of the following:

 

     (i) An individual who is a public body.

 

     (ii) An individual designated by a public body in accordance

 

with section 6 to accept and process requests for public records

 

under this act.

 

     (c) "Person" means an individual, corporation, limited

 

liability company, partnership, firm, organization, association,

 

governmental entity, or other legal entity. Person does not include

 

an individual serving a sentence of imprisonment in a state or

 

county correctional facility in this state or any other state, or

 

in a federal correctional facility.

 

     (d) "Public body" means any of the following:

 

     (i) A state officer, employee, agency, department, division,

 

bureau, board, commission, council, authority, or other body in the

 

executive or legislative branch of the state government. , but does

 

not include the governor or lieutenant governor, the executive

 

office of the governor or lieutenant governor, or employees

 

thereof.

 

     (ii) An agency, board, commission, or council in the

 

legislative branch of the state government.

 

     (ii) (iii) A county, city, township, village, intercounty,

 

intercity, or regional governing body, council, school district,

 

special district, or municipal corporation, or a board, department,

 

commission, council, or agency thereof.

 

     (iii) (iv) Any other body which that is created by state or local

 

authority or which that is primarily funded by or through state or

 

local authority, .

 

     (v) The except that the judiciary, including the office of the

 

county clerk and employees thereof when acting in the capacity of

 

clerk to the circuit court, is not included in the definition of

 

public body.

 

     (e) "Public record" means a writing prepared, owned, used, in

 

the possession of, or retained by a public body in the performance

 

of an official function, from the time it is created. Public record

 

does not include computer software. This act separates public

 

records into the following 2 classes:

 

     (i) Those that are exempt from disclosure under section 13.

 

     (ii) All public records that are not exempt from disclosure

 

under section 13 and which that are subject to disclosure under

 

this act.

 

     (f) "Software" means a set of statements or instructions that

 

when incorporated in a machine usable medium is capable of causing

 

a machine or device having information processing capabilities to

 

indicate, perform, or achieve a particular function, task, or

 

result. Software does not include computer-stored information or

 

data, or a field name if disclosure of that field name does not

 

violate a software license.

 

     (g) "Unusual circumstances" means any 1 or a combination of

 

the following, but only to the extent necessary for the proper

 

processing of a request:

 

     (i) The need to search for, collect, or appropriately examine

 

or review a voluminous amount of separate and distinct public

 

records pursuant to a single request.

 

     (ii) The need to collect the requested public records from

 

numerous field offices, facilities, or other establishments which

 

that are located apart from the particular office receiving or

 

processing the request.

 

     (h) "Writing" means handwriting, typewriting, printing,

 

photostating, photographing, photocopying, and every other means of

 

recording, and includes letters, words, pictures, sounds, or

 

symbols, or combinations thereof, and papers, maps, magnetic or

 

paper tapes, photographic films or prints, microfilm, microfiche,

 

magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, or other means of

 

recording or retaining meaningful content.

 

     (i) "Written request" means a writing that asks for

 

information, and includes a writing transmitted by facsimile,

 

electronic mail, or other electronic means.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.