The council will charge to provide copies of public records as provided in this section.

1. (1) Adoption of statutory copying charges. The council has not calculated the actual costs for copying its records because to do so would be unduly burdensome for the following reasons:

   1. (a) The council has insufficient resources to conduct a comprehensive study to determine the actual costs of copying its records;
   2. (b) To conduct a study of the council's actual copying costs would interfere with other essential agency functions; and

   3. (c) The legislature has established reasonable fees and costs in RCW 42.56.120 after the public and requestors have commented on, and been informed of, such fees and costs.

      To timely implement a fee schedule consistent with the Public Records Act, it is more cost-efficient and expeditious and in the public interest for the council to adopt the legislature's approved fees and costs for most of the council's records, as authorized in RCW 42.56.120 and as published in the council's fee schedule and available on the council's website at https://efsec.wa.gov.

2. (2) Fee schedule. Persons may obtain the schedule of the council's copying charges by contacting the council's records office at records@efsec.wa.gov. The council does not charge sales tax on copies it makes at its own facilities.
3. (3) Cost estimates. Upon request, the council will provide a requestor with a summary of the applicable charges before the council makes copies of the requested records. The requestor may revise the request to reduce the requested number of copies and correspondingly reduce the copying charges.
4. (4) Deposits and prepayment. Before beginning to make copies, the public records officer may require a requestor to pay a deposit of up to 10 percent of the estimated costs of copying all the requested records. The public records officer may also require the requestor to pay the remainder of the copying costs before providing all the records, or to pay the costs of copying an installment before providing that installment.
5. (5) Waiver or other fee arrangements. The council may waive copying charges. The council also may enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or other agreement with a requestor that provides an alternative fee arrangement to the charges or in response to voluminous or frequently occurring requests.
6. (6) Mailing and delivery costs. The council may charge the actual costs it incurs to mail or use a commercial carrier to deliver copies of the requested public records, including the cost of any digital storage medium or device on which the council copies the records (such as a disc or flash drive), the shipping container or envelope, and the postage or delivery charge.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040(1). WSR 25-12-020, s 463-06-110, filed 5/22/25, effective 6/22/25. Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040 (1) and (12). WSR 04-21-013, § 463-06-110, filed 10/11/04, effective 11/11/04; Order 103, § 463-06-110, filed 11/4/76. Formerly WAC 463-20-080.]