The state Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved the first overhaul in more than a decade of Georgia's sunshine laws.
By a 46-0 vote, the chamber passed House Bill 397, which would increase the maximum fine for breaking the sunshine laws to $1,000 for a single offense and to $2,500 for a repeat offense. It also says open records requests can be made orally or in writing, but a written request must be filed before invoking the penalty provisions of the law.
The House previously approved the rewrite of the state open records and meetings laws. But the bill requires House approval once again because the Senate adopted two amendments to the legislation.
One amendment would allow state economic development incentives for large projects to remain secret until a company commits to a project or abandons negotiations. It applies to projects that would cost more than $25 million or hire more than 50 employees. The bill also would allow the Board of Regents to withhold the names of finalists being considered to be a university president until five days before the board takes final action. Current law requires the regents to release the names 14 days before making the final decision.
The legislation has been a top priority of state Attorney General Sam Olens, who held numerous hearings with parties -- including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- who are acutely interested in the state's sunshine laws.
"The legislation passed by the Senate today makes great strides toward increasing government transparency in Georgia," Olens said. "It strikes the right balance between ensuring that government is accessible to all Georgians and protecting the confidentiality of sensitive information."
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