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   A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:h9e1PFhExmwJ:www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prepdf/guide.pdf
http://tinyurl.com/qgr62

   Published by
   William Francis Galvin  Secretary of the Commonwealth
   Public Records Division

   updated 10/7/05

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       The founding fathers of our nation strove to develop an
   open government formed on the principles of democracy and
   public participation.

   An informed citizen is better prepared to take part in that
   process.

   For this reason, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has had a
   law mandating the disclosure of public records since 1851.

   Early versions of this law basically provided a list of
   government records which were to be publicly available.

   In 1973, and in response to the Watergate scandal, Congress
   passed the federal Freedom of Information Act, in order to
   make government records more accessible to the general public.

   The Massachusetts Legislature then revised the Public Records
   Law to parallel that federal law, by adopting certain
   provisions, and rejecting others.

   Every government record is now presumed to be public unless it
   is subject to an exemption.


       As Secretary of the Commonwealth and chief public
   information officer for the Commonwealth, I am pleased to
   publish this booklet explaining the Public Records Law.

   The full text of the law is provided, as well as a brief
   description of each of the exemptions to the law.

   I have also included a section of commonly asked questions
   about a requester's rights to access public records, as well
   as a government custodian's duty to respond to those requests.

   Any additional questions regarding the Public Records Law
   should be directed to the Public Records Division at: (617)
   727-2832 during regular business hours.

   You may also access various Public Records Division
   publications through the Internet at:
   http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre

   William Francis Galvin
   Secretary of the Commonwealth

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   Table of Contents
   Commonly Asked Questions   ............................1
   Overview of the Massachusetts Public Records Law   ....5
   The Public Records Law   .............................37
   950 CMR: Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth  43
   Examples of Exemption (a) Statutes   .................51

   Published by
   William Francis Galvin  Secretary of the Commonwealth
   Public Records Division

   One Ashburton Place Room 1719
   Boston MA 02108

   Telephone 617 727-2832
   Fax       617 727-5914

   Website  http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcrmu/rmuidx.htm

http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:h9e1PFhExmwJ:www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prepdf/guide.pdf
http://tinyurl.com/qgr62

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