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- Public Records Law <br /> <br />ACT TO .~MEND THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW. <br /> <br /> Section 1. Existing G.S. 132-1 is redesignated <br /> as subsection [a), and a new subsection is added to read: <br /> "(b) The public records and public information compiled <br /> by the agencies of North Carolina government or its subdivisions <br /> are the property of the people. Therefore, it is the policy of this <br /> State that the people may obtain copies of their public records and <br /> public information free or at minimal cost unless otherwise <br /> specifically provided by law. As used herein, 'minimal cost' shall <br /> mean the actual cost of reproducing the public record or public <br /> information." <br /> Sec. 2. G.S. 152-6 reads as rewritten: <br /> "~ 132-6. Inspection and examination of records. <br /> (a) Every custodian of public records shall permit them to be <br /> any record in the custodian's custody to be inspected and examined at <br /> reasonable times and under reasonable supervision by any person, and <br /> shall, as promptly as possible, furnish copies thereof upon payment of <br />-- any fees as may be prescribed by law. As used herein, 'custodian' does <br /> not mean an agency that holds the public records of other agencies <br /> solely for purposes of storage or safekeeping or solely to provide data <br /> processing. <br /> (b) No person requesting to inspect and examine public <br /> records, or to obtain copies thereof, shall be required to disclose <br /> the purpose or motive for the request. <br /> (c) No request to inspect, examine, or obtain copies of <br /> public records shall be denied on the grounds that confidential <br /> information is commingled with the requested nonconfiden{ial <br /> information. If it is necessary to separate confidential from <br /> nonconfidential information in order to permit the inspection, <br /> examination, or copying of the public records, the public agency <br /> shall bear the cost of such separation on the following schedule: State agencies after June 30, 1996; <br /> Municipalities with populations of 10,0O0 or more, <br /> counties with populations of 25,000 or more, as determined by <br /> the 1990 U.S. Census, and public hospitals in those counties, <br /> after June $0, 1997; <br /> Municipalities with populations of less than 10,000, <br /> counties with populations of less than 25,000, as determined by <br /> the 1990 U.S. Census, and public hospitals in those counties after <br /> June $0, 1998; <br /> Political subdivisions and their agencies that are not <br /> otherwise covered by this schedule, after June 30, 1998. <br /> (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) <br /> of this section, public records relating to the proposed expansion or <br /> location of specific business or industrial projects in the State may be <br /> withheld so long as their inspection, examination or copying would <br /> frustrate the purpose for which such public records were created; <br /> provided, however, that nothing herein shall be construed to permit <br /> the withholding of public records relating to general economic <br /> development policies or activities. <br /> (e) The application of this Chapter is subject to the <br /> provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 121 of the General Statutes, the <br /> North Carolina Archives and History Act. <br /> (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of <br /> <br /> <br />