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House approves records bill that would add penalties for withholding public records
Summary
House Bill 362 would add a Class B misdemeanor penalty for improperly withholding or destroying requested government records and allow agencies to charge administrative fees after 12 GRAMA requests in a year (media excluded); it passed the House 71–2.
The Utah House approved House Bill 362 on Feb. 27, a measure sponsored by Representative Gregory Hughes that would add criminal penalties for withholding or destroying government records that are subject to disclosure and allow agencies to recoup true administrative costs after an individual has made 12 or more requests under GRAMA (the Government Records Access and Management Act).
"This bill would make it a class b misdemeanor if they're to be withheld, to destroy, or to, compromise the information that's been requested," Representative Gregory Hughes told colleagues while explaining the bill’s two parts. He said the legislation also permits agencies to reflect the "true administrative cost" of repeated requests after a threshold and stressed that the provision does not apply to members of the news media.
Hughes said the change was intended to address perceived abuses that leave taxpayers paying repeated administrative costs. There were no further floor lights and the House recorded a final vote of 71 yes and 2 no; the bill will be transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.
The bill text cited penalties for willful withholding or destruction of records and a fee regime for repetitive requesters; exact statutory cross-references and implementation rules would be determined in rulemaking and agency practice if the bill becomes law.
