Georgia § 50-18-70 Legislative intent; definitions

Georgia Statutes

§ 50-18-70 — Legislative intent; definitions

Georgia § 50-18-70

Title50

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Bluebook

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 (2026).

Text

(a)The General Assembly finds and declares that the strong public policy of this state is in favor of open government; that open government is essential to a free, open, and democratic society; and that public access to public records should be encouraged to foster confidence in government and so that the public can evaluate the expenditure of public funds and the efficient and proper functioning of its institutions. The General Assembly further finds and declares that there is a strong presumption that public records should be made available for public inspection without delay. This article shall be broadly construed to allow the inspection of governmental records. The exceptions set forth in this article, together with any other exception located elsewhere in the Code, shall be interpre

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(a) The General Assembly finds and declares that the strong public policy of this state is in favor of open government; that open government is essential to a free, open, and democratic society; and that public access to public records should be encouraged to foster confidence in government and so that the public can evaluate the expenditure of public funds and the efficient and proper functioning of its institutions. The General Assembly further finds and declares that there is a strong presumption that public records should be made available for public inspection without delay. This article shall be broadly construed to allow the inspection of governmental records. The exceptions set forth in this article, together with any other exception located elsewhere in the Code, shall be interpreted narrowly to exclude only those portions of records addressed by such exception. (b) As used in this article, the term: (1) "Agency" shall have the same meaning as in Code Section 50-14-1 and shall additionally include any association, corporation, or other similar organization that has a membership or ownership body composed primarily of counties, municipal corporations, or school districts of this state, their officers, or any combination thereof and derives more than 33 1/3 percent of its general operating budget from payments from such political subdivisions. (2) "Public record" means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, computer based or generated information, data, data fields, or similar material prepared and maintained or received by an agency or by a private person or entity in the performance of a service or function for or on behalf of an agency or when such documents have been transferred to a private person or entity by an agency for storage or future governmental use.

Legislative History

Amended by 2012 Ga. Laws 599,§ I-1-38, eff. 7/1/2012. Amended by 2012 Ga. Laws 605,§ 2, eff. 4/17/2012. Subsection (c) of this section was amended by 2012 Ga. Laws 599, § I-1-38, effective 7/1/2012. However, subsection (c) was deleted by 2012 Ga. Laws. 605, § 2, effective 7/1/2012. The text of that subsection as amended is as follows: "(c) Except as provided in subsection (b) of Code Section15-6-61, any computerized index of a county real estate deed records shall be printed or made available through electronic means for purposes of public inspection no less than every 30 days and any correction made on such index shall be made a part of the printout or made available through electronic means and shall reflect the time and date that said index was corrected."