25-61-10 - Access to records stored, manipulated or retrieved by sensitive software; acquisition, modification, etc., of systems, etc., used for creation or maintenance of public records data bases. - Mississippi Statutes

§ 25-61-10. Access to records stored, manipulated or retrieved by sensitive software; acquisition, modification, etc., of systems, etc., used for creation or maintenance of public records data bases.
 

(1)  Any public body that uses sensitive software, as defined in Section 25-61-9, or proprietary software must not thereby diminish the right of the public to inspect and copy a public record. A public body that uses sensitive software, as defined in Section 25-61-9, or proprietary software to store, manipulate, or retrieve a public record will not be deemed to have diminished the right of the public if it either: (a) If [if] legally obtainable, makes a copy of the software available to the public for application to the public records stored, manipulated, or retrieved by the software; or (b) ensures that the software has the capacity to create an electronic copy of each public record stored, manipulated, or retrieved by the software in some common format such as, but not limited to, the American Standard Code for Information Interchange. 

(2)  A public body shall provide a copy of the record in the format requested if the public body maintains the record in that format, and the public body may charge a fee which must be in accordance with Section 25-61-7. 

(3)  Before a public body acquires or makes a major modification to any information technology system, equipment, or software used to store, retrieve, or manipulate a public record, the public body shall adequately plan for the provision of public access and redaction of exempt or confidential information by the proposed system, equipment or software. 

(4)  A public body may not enter into a contract for the creation or maintenance of a public records data base if that contract impairs the ability of the public to inspect or copy the public records of that agency, including public records that are on-line or stored in an information technology system used by the public body. 
 

Sources: Laws,  1996, ch. 453, § 4, eff from and after July 1, 1996.