61.878 Certain public records exempted from inspection except on order of court -- Restriction of state employees to inspect personnel files prohibited.

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61.878 Certain public records exempted from inspection except on order of court -- Restriction of state employees to inspect personnel files prohibited. (1) The following public records are excluded from the application of KRS 61.870 to 61.884 and shall be subject to inspection only upon order of a court of competent <br>jurisdiction, except that no court shall authorize the inspection by any party of any <br>materials pertaining to civil litigation beyond that which is provided by the Rules of <br>Civil Procedure governing pretrial discovery: <br>(a) Public records containing information of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal <br>privacy; (b) Records confidentially disclosed to an agency and compiled and maintained for scientific research. This exemption shall not, however, apply to records the <br>disclosure or publication of which is directed by another statute; (c) 1. Upon and after July 15, 1992, records confidentially disclosed to an <br>agency or required by an agency to be disclosed to it, generally <br>recognized as confidential or proprietary, which if openly disclosed <br>would permit an unfair commercial advantage to competitors of the <br>entity that disclosed the records; 2. Upon and after July 15, 1992, records confidentially disclosed to an <br>agency or required by an agency to be disclosed to it, generally <br>recognized as confidential or proprietary, which are compiled and <br>maintained: <br>a. In conjunction with an application for or the administration of a <br>loan or grant; b. In conjunction with an application for or the administration of <br>assessments, incentives, inducements, and tax credits as described <br>in KRS Chapter 154; c. In conjunction with the regulation of commercial enterprise, <br>including mineral exploration records, unpatented, secret <br>commercially valuable plans, appliances, formulae, or processes, <br>which are used for the making, preparing, compounding, treating, <br>or processing of articles or materials which are trade commodities <br>obtained from a person; or d. For the grant or review of a license to do business. 3. The exemptions provided for in subparagraphs 1. and 2. of this <br>paragraph shall not apply to records the disclosure or publication of <br>which is directed by another statute; (d) Public records pertaining to a prospective location of a business or industry where no previous public disclosure has been made of the business' or <br>industry's interest in locating in, relocating within or expanding within the <br>Commonwealth. This exemption shall not include those records pertaining to <br>application to agencies for permits or licenses necessary to do business or to expand business operations within the state, except as provided in paragraph <br>(c) of this subsection; (e) Public records which are developed by an agency in conjunction with the regulation or supervision of financial institutions, including but not limited to, <br>banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions, which disclose the <br>agency's internal examining or audit criteria and related analytical methods; (f) The contents of real estate appraisals, engineering or feasibility estimates and evaluations made by or for a public agency relative to acquisition of property, <br>until such time as all of the property has been acquired. The law of eminent <br>domain shall not be affected by this provision; (g) Test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used to administer a licensing examination, examination for employment, or academic examination <br>before the exam is given or if it is to be given again; (h) Records of law enforcement agencies or agencies involved in administrative adjudication that were compiled in the process of detecting and investigating <br>statutory or regulatory violations if the disclosure of the information would <br>harm the agency by revealing the identity of informants not otherwise known <br>or by premature release of information to be used in a prospective law <br>enforcement action or administrative adjudication. Unless exempted by other <br>provisions of KRS 61.870 to 61.884, public records exempted under this <br>provision shall be open after enforcement action is completed or a decision is <br>made to take no action; however, records or information compiled and <br>maintained by county attorneys or Commonwealth's attorneys pertaining to <br>criminal investigations or criminal litigation shall be exempted from the <br>provisions of KRS 61.870 to 61.884 and shall remain exempted after <br>enforcement action, including litigation, is completed or a decision is made to <br>take no action. The exemptions provided by this subsection shall not be used <br>by the custodian of the records to delay or impede the exercise of rights <br>granted by KRS 61.870 to 61.884; (i) Preliminary drafts, notes, correspondence with private individuals, other than correspondence which is intended to give notice of final action of a public <br>agency; (j) Preliminary recommendations, and preliminary memoranda in which opinions are expressed or policies formulated or recommended; (k) All public records or information the disclosure of which is prohibited by federal law or regulation; (l) Public records or information the disclosure of which is prohibited or restricted or otherwise made confidential by enactment of the General <br>Assembly; (m) 1. Public records the disclosure of which would have a reasonable <br>likelihood of threatening the public safety by exposing a vulnerability in <br>preventing, protecting against, mitigating, or responding to a terrorist act <br>and limited to: a. Criticality lists resulting from consequence assessments; b. Vulnerability assessments; c. Antiterrorism protective measures and plans; d. Counterterrorism measures and plans; e. Security and response needs assessments; f. Infrastructure records that expose a vulnerability referred to in this <br>subparagraph through the disclosure of the location, configuration, <br>or security of critical systems, including public utility critical <br>systems. These critical systems shall include but not be limited to <br>information technology, communication, electrical, fire suppression, ventilation, water, wastewater, sewage, and gas <br>systems; g. The following records when their disclosure will expose a <br>vulnerability referred to in this subparagraph: detailed drawings, <br>schematics, maps, or specifications of structural elements, floor <br>plans, and operating, utility, or security systems of any building or <br>facility owned, occupied, leased, or maintained by a public agency; <br>and h. Records when their disclosure will expose a vulnerability referred <br>to in this subparagraph and that describe the exact physical <br>location of hazardous chemical, radiological, or biological <br>materials. 2. As used in this paragraph, &quot;terrorist act&quot; means a criminal act intended <br>to: <br>a. Intimidate or coerce a public agency or all or part of the civilian <br>population; b. Disrupt a system identified in subparagraph 1.f. of this paragraph; <br>or c. Cause massive destruction to a building or facility owned, <br>occupied, leased, or maintained by a public agency. 3. On the same day that a public agency denies a request to inspect a public <br>record for a reason identified in this paragraph, that public agency shall <br>forward a copy of the written denial of the request, referred to in KRS <br>61.880(1), to the executive director of the Office for Security <br>Coordination and the Attorney General. 4. Nothing in this paragraph shall affect the obligations of a public agency <br>with respect to disclosure and availability of public records under state <br>environmental, health, and safety programs. 5. The exemption established in this paragraph shall not apply when a <br>member of the Kentucky General Assembly seeks to inspect a public <br>record identified in this paragraph under the Open Records Law; and (n) Public or private records, including books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, discs, diskettes, recordings, software, or other documentation regardless <br>of physical form or characteristics, having historic, literary, artistic, or <br>commemorative value accepted by the archivist of a public university, <br>museum, or government depository from a donor or depositor other than a <br>public agency. This exemption shall apply to the extent that nondisclosure is <br>requested in writing by the donor or depositor of such records, but shall not <br>apply to records the disclosure or publication of which is mandated by another <br>statute or by federal law. (2) No exemption in this section shall be construed to prohibit disclosure of statistical information not descriptive of any readily identifiable person. (3) No exemption in this section shall be construed to deny, abridge, or impede the right of a public agency employee, including university employees, an applicant for <br>employment, or an eligible on a register to inspect and to copy any record including <br>preliminary and other supporting documentation that relates to him. The records <br>shall include, but not be limited to, work plans, job performance, demotions, <br>evaluations, promotions, compensation, classification, reallocation, transfers, <br>layoffs, disciplinary actions, examination scores, and preliminary and other <br>supporting documentation. A public agency employee, including university <br>employees, applicant, or eligible shall not have the right to inspect or to copy any <br>examination or any documents relating to ongoing criminal or administrative <br>investigations by an agency. (4) If any public record contains material which is not excepted under this section, the public agency shall separate the excepted and make the nonexcepted material <br>available for examination. (5) The provisions of this section shall in no way prohibit or limit the exchange of public records or the sharing of information between public agencies when the <br>exchange is serving a legitimate governmental need or is necessary in the <br>performance of a legitimate government function. Effective: June 20 2005 <br>History: Amended 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 45, sec. 6, effective June 20, 2005; and ch. 93, sec. 3, effective March 16, 2005. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 262, sec. 5, effective <br>July 15, 1994; and ch. 450, sec. 34, effective July 15, 1994. </p> <BR></DIV><!-- /.col.one --><!-- /.col.two --></DIV><!-- /.col.main --></DIV><!-- /div id = content --> <BR class=clear></DIV> <!-- /div id = livearea --> <DIV></DIV><!-- /.col.one --> <DIV></DIV><!-- /.col.main --> <DIV></DIV><!-- /#content --><BR class=clear> <DIV></DIV><!-- /#livearea --> <!-- Footer--> <DIV id=footer> <DIV class=container> <P class=copyright>Copyright &copy; 2012-2022 Laws9.Com All rights reserved. </P><!-- /.copyright --> <P class=footerlinks><A href="/contactus.html">Contact Us</A> | <A href="/aboutus.html">About Us</A> | <A href="/terms.html">Terms</A> | <A href="/privacy.html">Privacy</A></P><!-- /.footerlinks --> </DIV><!-- /.container --> </DIV><!-- /footer --> </BODY></HTML>