Indiana Considers $20 Search Fee For Public Record Requests

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A bill that aims to simplify school management by cutting obsolete or duplicate rules in education could also change how public records are handled by all types of Indiana agencies.

The measure would allow government entities to charge a searching fee for records requests that take longer than two hours to fulfill. Current law says agencies can only charge for copying records. The fee starts at $0.10 per page.

The increase in cost comes as states such as Michigan and Maryland are aiming to make record requests less expensive.

Supporters say educators are bogged down with regulations that divert resources from the classroom. Critics say the measure could discourage in-depth records requests and give officials another tool to fight transparency.

The bill is currently under consideration in the House.