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TO AMEND SECTION 30-4-30, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE RIGHT TO INSPECT OR COPY PUBLIC RECORDS UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AND THE FEES FOR COPYING THOSE RECORDS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE CHARGE MADE BY A PUBLIC BODY FOR COPIES OF PUBLIC RECORDS MAY NOT EXCEED CERTAIN SPECIFIED AMOUNTS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 30-4-30(b) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(b) The public body may establish and collect fees not to exceed the actual cost of searching for or making copies of records., provided the actual cost of copies may not exceed the prevailing commercial rate for such copies in the locality where the copying is performed. Fees charged by a public body must be uniform for copies of the same record or document. However, members of the General Assembly may receive copies of records or documents at no charge from public bodies when their request relates to their legislative duties. The records must be furnished at the lowest possible cost to the person requesting the records. Records must be provided in a form that is both convenient and practical for use by the person requesting copies of the records concerned, if it is equally convenient for the public body to provide the records in this form. Documents may be furnished when appropriate without charge or at a reduced charge where the agency determines that waiver or reduction of the fee is in the public interest because furnishing the information can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public. Fees may not be charged for examination and review to determine if the documents are subject to disclosure. Nothing in this chapter prevents the custodian of the public records from charging a reasonable hourly rate not to exceed the actual cost for making records available to the public nor requiring a reasonable deposit of these costs before searching for or making copies of the records."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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