LRB-5148/1: Senate Bill 789
This bill proposes a change to the current law regarding fees for accessing public records. Currently, government officials or agencies can charge a fee if the cost of locating, copying, and mailing the records exceeds $50. This bill would allow law enforcement and corrections agencies to charge a fee for the cost of redacting recorded video content.
If someone requests public records that include video footage, the law enforcement or corrections agency may need to redact (blur or pixelate) certain parts of the video to comply with privacy laws. This bill would allow the agency to charge a fee for the actual and necessary cost of performing this redaction.
The fee would only cover the direct cost of redacting the video and would only be charged if redaction is necessary to comply with constitutional, statutory, or common law requirements. The exact amount of the fee would be determined by the agency.
This bill has been introduced in the Wisconsin Senate and referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety for further consideration.
Gettr
