House panel OKs bill setting cost limits on FOIAs

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A legislative panel has approved a measure that could reduce costs for South Carolina citizens seeking documents under open records laws.

The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved a bill that bars public agencies from charging more than fair market rates for copies. The proposal would also keep agencies from charging any more than the actual cost of searching for a record.

Some public bodies have passed on the cost of having a lawyer review the records before they are released.

The bill also prohibits copy charges for electronic records and requires public agencies to respond to public records requests within 30 days unless records are more than two years old.

The panel also approved an amendment that removes a policy exempting lawmakers from Freedom of Information Act requests.