610.023. Records of governmental bodies to be in care of custodian, duties--records may be copied but not removed, exception, procedure--denial of access, procedure.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

610.023. Records of governmental bodies to be in care of custodian, duties--records may be copied but not removed, exception, procedure--denial of access, procedure.

Records of governmental bodies to be in care of custodian,duties--records may be copied but not removed, exception,procedure--denial of access, procedure.

610.023. 1. Each public governmental body is to appoint a custodianwho is to be responsible for the maintenance of that body's records. Theidentity and location of a public governmental body's custodian is to bemade available upon request.

2. Each public governmental body shall make available for inspectionand copying by the public of that body's public records. No person shallremove original public records from the office of a public governmentalbody or its custodian without written permission of the designatedcustodian. No public governmental body shall, after August 28, 1998, grantto any person or entity, whether by contract, license or otherwise, theexclusive right to access and disseminate any public record unless thegranting of such right is necessary to facilitate coordination with, oruniformity among, industry regulators having similar authority.

3. Each request for access to a public record shall be acted upon assoon as possible, but in no event later than the end of the third businessday following the date the request is received by the custodian of recordsof a public governmental body. If records are requested in a certainformat, the public body shall provide the records in the requested format,if such format is available. If access to the public record is not grantedimmediately, the custodian shall give a detailed explanation of the causefor further delay and the place and earliest time and date that the recordwill be available for inspection. This period for document production mayexceed three days for reasonable cause.

4. If a request for access is denied, the custodian shall provide,upon request, a written statement of the grounds for such denial. Suchstatement shall cite the specific provision of law under which access isdenied and shall be furnished to the requester no later than the end of thethird business day following the date that the request for the statement isreceived.