New Unit Aims to Modernize Washington’s Public Records System
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is creating a new Public Records and Open Government Unit to strengthen transparency and improve access to state records.
The new unit will bring together more than ten current employees who already handle public records and constituent services, led by the office’s first-ever Chief Transparency Counsel. The position will oversee modernization of records management, staff training, and strategies to make government more open to the public.
Brown says transparency is essential to maintaining trust, especially at a time when public confidence in government is low.
Public records requests to the Attorney General’s Office have doubled over the past decade, from just over 500 in 2014 to more than 1,000 in 2024. The new unit will look for ways to respond faster and more efficiently.
The office is also proposing updates to the model rules that guide how public agencies statewide respond to records requests. A public hearing on the changes is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Olympia.
Applications for the new Chief Transparency Counsel position close Nov. 4, with a selection expected by year’s end.
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