COURTESY OF FATHERNET BBS (718) 494-1719 PCBoard 15.0 USR-DS 16.8K Just make 1st call *after* 8 PM Eastern because there's immediate callback verification. No Handles. ********************************************************* 29 Del. C. @ 514 (1992) @ 514. Inspection by Department of public records For the purpose of this chapter all custodians of public records of this State and the political subdivisions thereof shall, upon the request of the Department, afford to it all proper and reasonable access to and examination of all public records in their custody. HISTORY: 66 Del. Laws, c. 211, @ 1. 29 Del. C. @ 10001 (1992) @ 10001. Declaration of policy It is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner so that our citizens shall have the opportunity to observe the performance of public officials and to monitor the decisions that are made by such officials in formulating and executing public policy; and further, it is vital that citizens have easy access to public records in order that the society remain free and democratic. Toward these ends, and to further the accountability of government to the citizens of this State, this chapter is adopted, and shall be construed. HISTORY: 60 Del. Laws, c. 641, @ 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 191, @ 1. THIS CHAPTER DID NOT IMPLIEDLY REPEAL PROHIBITION against disclosing records and reports to persons committed to the Department of Correction. Jenkins v. Gulledge, Del. Supr., 449 A.2d 207 (1982). NOTES APPLICABLE TO ENTIRE TITLE CROSS REFERENCES. --As to public officers and employees subject to attachment and garnishment, see @ 3503 of Title 10. As to insurance for protection of State, see Chapter 65 of Title 18. As to municipalities generally, see Title 22. 29 Del. C. @ 10001 (1992) @ 10001. Declaration of policy It is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner so that our citizens shall have the opportunity to observe the performance of public officials and to monitor the decisions that are made by such officials in formulating and executing public policy; and further, it is vital that citizens have easy access to public records in order that the society remain free and democratic. Toward these ends, and to further the accountability of government to the citizens of this State, this chapter is adopted, and shall be construed. HISTORY: 60 Del. Laws, c. 641, @ 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 191, @ 1. THIS CHAPTER DID NOT IMPLIEDLY REPEAL PROHIBITION against disclosing records and reports to persons committed to the Department of Correction. Jenkins v. Gulledge, Del. Supr., 449 A.2d 207 (1982). NOTES APPLICABLE TO ENTIRE TITLE CROSS REFERENCES. --As to public officers and employees subject to attachment and garnishment, see @ 3503 of Title 10. As to insurance for protection of State, see Chapter 65 of Title 18. As to municipalities generally, see Title 22. 29 Del. C. @ 10002 (1992) STATUS: CONSULT SLIP LAWS CITED BELOW FOR RECENT CHANGES TO THIS DOCUMENT @ 10002. Definitions 29 Del. C. @ 10002 (1992) (a) "Public body" means, unless specifically excluded, any regulatory, administrative, advisory, executive, appointive or legislative body of the State, or of any political subdivision of the State, including, but not limited to, any board, bureau, commission, department, agency, committee, ad hoc committee, special committee, temporary committee, advisory board and committee, subcommittee, legislative committee, association, group, panel, council or any other entity or body established by an act of the General Assembly of the State, or established by any body established by the General Assembly of the State, or appointed by any body or public official of the State or otherwise empowered by any state governmental entity, which: (1) Is supported in whole or in part by any public funds; or (2) expends or disburses any public funds, including grants, gifts or other similar disbursals and distributions; or (3) is impliedly or specifically charged by any other public official, body, or agency to advise or to make reports, investigations or recommendations. Public body shall not include the General Assembly of the State, nor any caucus thereof, or committee, subcommittee, ad hoc committee, special committee or temporary committee. (b) "Public business" means any matter over which the public body has supervision, control, jurisdiction or advisory power. (c) "Public funds" are those funds derived from the State or any political subdivision of the State. (d) "Public record" is information of any kind, owned, made, used, retained, received, produced, composed, drafted or otherwise compiled or collected, by any public body, relating in any way to public business, or in any way of public interest, or in any way related to public purposes, regardless of the physical form or characteristic by which such information is stored, recorded or reproduced. For purposes of this chapter, the following records shall not be deemed public: (1) Any personnel, medical or pupil file, the disclosure of which would constitute an invasion of personal privacy, under this legislation or under any State or federal law as it relates to personal privacy; (2) Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person which is of a privileged or confidential nature; (3) Investigatory files compiled for civil or criminal law-enforcement purposes including pending investigative files, pretrial and presentence investigations and child custody and adoption files where there is no criminal complaint at issue; (4) Criminal files and criminal records, the disclosure of which would constitute an invasion of personal privacy. Any person may, upon proof of identity, obtain a copy of his personal criminal record. All other criminal records and files are closed to public scrutiny. Agencies holding such criminal records may delete any information, before release, which would disclose the names of witnesses, intelligence personnel and aids or any other information of a privileged and confidential nature; (5) Intelligence files compiled for law-enforcement purposes, the disclosure of which could constitute an endangerment to the local, state or national welfare and security; (6) Any records specifically exempted from public disclosure by statute or common law; (7) Any records which disclose the identity of the contributor of a bona fide and lawful charitable contribution to the public body whenever public anonymity has been requested of the public body with respect to said contribution by the contributor; (8) Any records involving labor negotiations or collective bargaining; (9) Any records pertaining to pending or potential litigation which are not records of any court; (10) Subject to subsection (f) of @ 10004 of this title with respect to release of minutes of executive sessions, any record of discussions held in executive session pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) of @ 10004 of this title. (11) Any records which disclose the identity or address of any person holding a permit to carry a concealed deadly weapon; provided, however, all records relating to such permits shall be available to all bona fide law-enforcement officers; or (12) Any records of a public library which contain the identity of a user and the books, documents, films, recordings or other property of the library which a patron has used. (13) Any records in the possession of the Department of Correction where disclosure is sought by an inmate in the Department's custody. (e) "Meeting" means the formal or informal gathering of a quorum of the members of any public body for the purpose of discussing or taking action on public business. (f) "Agenda" shall include but is not limited to a general statement of the major issues expected to be discussed at a public meeting, as well as a statement of intent to hold an executive session and the specific ground or grounds therefor under subsection (b) of @ 10004 of this title. (g) "Public body", "public record" and "meeting" shall not include activities of the University of Delaware and Delaware State College, except that the Board of Trustees of the University and the Board of Trustees of the College shall be "public bodies", and University and College documents relating to the expenditure of public funds shall be "public records", and each meeting of the full Board of Trustees of either institution shall be a "meeting". HISTORY: 60 Del. Laws, c. 641, @ 1; 61 Del. Laws, c. 55, @ 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 424, @ 1; 64 Del. Laws, c. 113, @ 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 191, @@ 2-6; 66 Del. Laws, c. 143, @ 1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 281, @ 194. NOTES: REVISOR'S NOTE. --Section 2 of 67 Del. Laws, c. 281, provides: "Any previous act inconsistent with the provisions of this act is hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency." Section 3 of 67 Del. Laws, c. 281, provides: "If any provision of this act, or of any rule, regulation or order thereunder, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances, shall be invalid, the remainder of this act and the application of such provisions of this act or of such rule, regulation or order to persons or circumstances other than those to which it is held invalid shall not be affected thereby." EFFECT OF AMENDMENTS. --67 Del. Laws, c. 281, effective July 2, 1990, rewrote (g). STATUTORY DEFINITION OF "MEETING" IN THIS SECTION SEEMS SATISFIED when a quorum of a public body gathers for the purpose of discussing or taking action on public business regardless of what they might choose to do once convened. News-Journal Co. v. McLaughlin, Del. Ch., 377 A.2d 358 (1977). 29 Del. C. @ 10003 (1992) @ 10003. Examination and copying of public records (a) All public records shall be open to inspection and copying by any citizen of the State during regular business hours by the custodian of the records for the appropriate public body. Reasonable access to and reasonable facilities for copying of these records shall not be denied to any citizen. If the record is in active use or in storage and, therefore, not available at the time a citizen requests access, the custodian shall so inform the citizen and make an appointment for said citizen to examine such records as expediently as they may be made available. Any reasonable expense involved in the copying of such records shall be levied as a charge on the citizen requesting such copy. (b) It shall be the responsibility of the public body to establish rules and regulations regarding access to public records as well as fees charged for copying of such records. HISTORY: 60 Del. Laws, c. 641, @ 1. 29 Del. C. @ 10004 (1992) @ 10004. Open meetings (a) Every meeting of all public bodies shall be open to the public except those closed pursuant to subsections (b), (c), (d) and (g) of this section. (b) A public body may call for an executive session closed to the public pursuant to subsections (c) and (e) of this section, but only for the following purposes: (1) Discussion of an individual citizen's qualifications to hold a job or pursue training unless the citizen requests that such a meeting be open. This provision shall not apply to the discussion by a licensing board or commission which is subject to the provisions of @ 8810 of this title, of an individual citizen's qualifications to pursue any profession or occupation for which a license must be issued by the public body in accordance with Delaware law; (2) Preliminary discussions on site acquisitions for any publicly funded capital improvements; (3) Activities of any law-enforcement agency in its efforts to collect information leading to criminal apprehension; (4) Strategy sessions, including those involving legal advice or opinion from an attorney-at-law, with respect to collective bargaining or pending or potential litigation, but only when an open meeting would have an adverse effect on the bargaining or litigation position of the public body; (5) Discussions which would disclose the identity of the contributor of a bona fide and lawful charitable contribution to the public body whenever public anonymity has been requested of the public body with respect to said contribution by the contributor; (6) Discussion of the content of documents, excluded from the definition of "public record" in @ 10002 of this title where such discussion may disclose the contents of such documents; (7) The hearing of student disciplinary cases unless the student requests a public hearing; (8) The hearing of employee disciplinary or dismissal cases unless the employee requests a public hearing; (9) Personnel matters in which the names, competency and abilities of individual employees or students are discussed, unless the employee or student requests that such a meeting be open. (c) A public body may hold an executive session closed to the public upon affirmative vote of a majority of members present at a meeting of the public body. The vote on the question of holding an executive session shall take place at a meeting of the public body which shall be open to the public, and the results of the vote shall be made public and shall be recorded in the minutes. The purpose of such executive sessions shall be set forth in the agenda and shall be limited to the purposes listed in subsection (b) of this section. Executive sessions may be held only for the discussion of public business, and all voting on public business must take place at a public meeting and the results of the vote made public. (d) This section shall not prohibit the removal of any person from a public meeting who is willfully and seriously disruptive of the conduct of such meeting. (e)(1) This subsection concerning notice of meetings shall not apply to any emergency meeting which is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, or to the General Assembly. (2) All public bodies shall give public notice of their regular meetings and of their intent to hold an executive session closed to the public, at least 7 days in advance thereof. The notice shall include the agenda, if such has been determined at the time, and the dates, times and places of such meetings; however, the agenda shall be subject to change to include additional items including executive sessions or the deletion of items including executive sessions which arise at the time of the public body's meeting. (3) All public bodies shall give public notice of the type set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection of any special or rescheduled meeting as soon as reasonably possible, but in any event no later than 24 hours before such meeting. A special or rescheduled meeting shall be defined as one to be held less than 7 days after the scheduling decision is made. The public notice of a special or rescheduled meeting shall include an explanation as to why the notice required by paragraph (1) of this subsection could not be given. (4) Public notice required by this subsection shall include, but not be limited to, conspicuous posting of said notice at the principal office of the public body holding the meeting, or if no such office exists at the place where meetings of the public body are regularly held, and making a reasonable number of such notices available. (5) When the agenda is not available as of the time of the initial posting of the public notice it shall be added to the notice at least 6 hours in advance of said meeting, and the reasons for the delay in posting shall be briefly set forth on the agenda. (f) Each public body shall maintain minutes of all meetings, including executive sessions, conducted pursuant to this section, and shall make such minutes available for public inspection and copying as a public record. Such minutes shall include a record of those members present and a record, by individual members (except where the public body is a town assembly where all citizens are entitled to vote), of each vote taken and action agreed upon. Such minutes or portions thereof, and any public records pertaining to executive sessions conducted pursuant to this section, may be withheld from public disclosure so long as public disclosure would defeat the lawful purpose for the executive session, but no longer. (g) Every regularly scheduled meeting of a public body shall be held within the geographic jurisdiction of that public body. All such other meetings shall be held as follows: (1) A public body serving any political subdivision of the State, including, but not limited to, any city, town or school district, shall hold all such other meetings within its jurisdiction or the county in which its principal office is located. (2) For the purposes of this subsection, a "regularly scheduled meeting" shall mean any meeting of a public body held on a periodic basis. (3) The provisions of this subsection, insofar as they are not practicable, shall not apply to any emergency meeting which is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, or to a meeting held by a public body outside of its jurisdiction which is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public financial welfare. (h) This section shall not apply to the proceedings of: (1) Grand juries; (2) Petit juries; (3) Special juries; (4) The deliberations of any court; (5) The Board of Pardons and Parole; and (6) Public bodies having only 1 member. HISTORY: 60 Del. Laws, c. 641, @ 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 269, @ 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 191, @@ 7-12; 66 Del. Laws, c. 419, @ 1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 367, @@ 1, 2. 29 Del. C. @ 10004 (1992) NOTES: REVISOR'S NOTE. --The reference in subsection (e)(3) of this section to "paragraph (1) of this subsection" should probably be to "paragraph (2) of this subsection." EFFECT OF AMENDMENTS. --67 Del. Laws, c. 367, effective July 17, 1990, in (b)(1), inserted "an" preceding "individual" near the beginning and added the last sentence. STATUTORY DEFINITION OF "MEETING" SEEMS SATISFIED when a quorum of a public body gathers for the purpose of discussing or taking action on public business regardless of what they might choose to do once convened. News-Journal Co. v. McLaughlin, Del. Ch., 377 A.2d 358 (1977). SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY'S STANDING COMMITTEES NOT SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENT. --The Delaware Solid Waste Authority is a public body subject to the Delaware Freedom of Information Act and its open meeting requirement, but the Authority's standing committees are not subject to that requirement since the committees operate with less than the statutory quorum of 5 directors. Delaware Solid Waste Auth. v. News-Journal Co., Del. Supr., 480 A.2d 628 (1984). 29 Del. C. @ 10005 (1992) @ 10005. Enforcement (a) Any action taken at a meeting in violation of this chapter may be voidable by the Court of Chancery. Any citizen may challenge the validity under this chapter of any action of a public body by filing suit within 60 days of the citizen's learning of such action but in no event later than 6 months after the date of the action. (b) Any citizen denied access to public records as provided in this chapter may bring suit within 60 days of such denial. Venue in such cases where access to public records is denied shall be placed in a court of competent jurisdiction for the county or city in which the public body ordinarily meets or in which the plaintiff resides. (c) In any action brought under this section, the burden of proof shall be on the custodian of records to justify the denial of access to records, and shall be on the public body to justify a decision to meet in executive session or any failure to comply with this chapter. (d) Remedies permitted by this section include an injunction, a declaratory judgment, writ of mandamus and/or other appropriate relief. The court may award attorney fees and costs to a successful plaintiff of any action brought under this section. The court may award attorney fees and costs to a successful defendant, but only if the court finds that the action was frivolous or was brought solely for the purpose of harassment. (e) Any citizen may petition the Attorney General to determine whether a violation of this chapter has occurred or is about to occur. The petition shall set forth briefly the nature of the alleged violation. Upon receiving a petition, the Attorney General shall, within 10 days, notify in writing the custodian of records or public body involved. Within 20 days of receiving the petition, the Attorney General shall make a written determination of whether a violation has occurred or is about to occur, and shall provide the citizen and any custodian of records or public body involved with a copy of the determination. If the Attorney General finds that a violation of this chapter has occurred or is about occur, the citizen may: (1) File suit as set forth in this chapter; or (2) request in writing that the Attorney General file suit on the citizen's behalf. If such request is made, the Attorney General may file suit, and shall within 15 days notify the citizen of the decision to file suit, unless the custodian of records or public body has agreed to comply with this chapter. The citizen shall have the absolute right to file suit regardless of the determination of the Attorney General, and may move to intervene as a party in any suit filed by the Attorney General. (f) Subsection (e) of this section shall not apply to an alleged violation by an administrative office or officer, agency, department, board, commission or instrumentality of state government which the Attorney General is obliged to represent pursuant to @ 2504 of this title. HISTORY: 60 Del. Laws, c. 641, @ 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 191, @ 13; 66 Del. Laws, c. 354, @@ 1, 2. SUPERIOR COURT MAY PROPERLY RULE ON MERITS OF SUIT INSTITUTED AFTER 10-DAY TIME PERIOD. --Even though suit was instituted after the 10-day time period prescribed by this section, it was proper for the Superior Court to enter a ruling on the merits since the procedural defect could be cured by a subsequent request and timely filing. Jenkins v. Gulledge, Del. Supr., 449 A.2d 207 (1982). 29 Del. C. @ 10101 (1992) @ 10101. Policy The purpose of this chapter is to standardize the procedures and methods whereby certain state agencies exercise their statutory powers and to specify the manner and extent to which action by such agencies may be subjected to judicial review. HISTORY: 60 Del. Laws, c. 585, @ 1; 62 Del. Laws, c. 301, @ 2. COMPREHENSIVE REVISION INDICATES LEGISLATIVE INTENT TO IMPLICITLY REPEAL CONFLICTING CODE PROVISIONS. --A comprehensive revision of a particular subject, such as this chapter, is evidence of a legislative intent to implicitly repeal conflicting code provisions while retaining nonconflicting provisions. State, Dep't of Labor v. Minner, Del. Supr., 448 A.2d 227 (1982). STANDARDS AT VARIANCE WITH ACT IMPLICITLY REPEALED. --To the extent that any previously applied administrative standard, whether or not legislatively based, is at variance with the provisions of the act, the later governs through the principle of implicit legislative repeal. In re Delmarva Power & Light Co., Del. Super., 486 A.2d 19 (1984), rev'd on other grounds, Del. Supr., 508 A.2d 849 (1986). CHAPTER CONTROLS REVIEW OF PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION DECISIONS. --The Administrative Procedures Act is clearly intended to control the standard and scope of judicial review of decisions of the Public Service Commission. Delmarva Power & Light Co. v. Public Serv. Comm'n, Del. Supr., 508 A.2d 849 (1986). ACTION OF SECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL IN REVOKING PERMITS in an emergency situation absent a hearing was not subject to this chapter. Formosa Plastics Corp. v. Wilson, Del. Supr., 504 A.2d 1083 (1986). PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION. --Neither the Agricultural Lands Preservation Act nor the Administrative Procedures Act explicitly create a private right of action to attack state administrative action as invalid. Couch v. Delmarva Power & Light Co., Del. Ch., 593 A.2d 554 (1991). WHERE SECRETARY'S DECISION AND FINDINGS PURSUANT TO @ 6801 OF TITLE 7 ARE SUPPORTED BY SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE, a reviewing court may not substitute its judgment for the Secretary's but must defer to the expertise of the Secretary in this area. Olney v. Cooch, Del. Supr., 425 A.2d 610 (1981). NOTES APPLICABLE TO ENTIRE TITLE CROSS REFERENCES. --As to public officers and employees subject to attachment and garnishment, see @ 3503 of Title 10. As to insurance for protection of State, see Chapter 65 of Title 18. As to municipalities generally, see Title 22. NOTES APPLICABLE TO ENTIRE CHAPTER CROSS REFERENCES. --As to right to hearing before assessment of civil penalty for violation of pesticide law, see @ 1225 of Title 3. @ 10102. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) "Agency" means any authority, department, instrumentality, commission, officer, board or other unit of the state government authorized by law to make regulations, decide cases or issue licenses. Agency does not include the General Assembly, courts, municipalities, counties and other political subdivisions, joint state-federal, interstate or intermunicipal authorities and their agencies. (2) "Agency action" means either an agency's regulation or case decision, which could be a basis for the imposition of injunctive orders, penal or civil sanctions of any kind or the grant or denial of relief or of a license, right or benefit by any agency or court, or both. (3) "Case" or "case decision" means any agency proceeding or determination that a named party as a matter of past or present fact, or of threatened or contemplated private action, is or is not in violation of a law or regulation, or is or is not in compliance with any existing requirement for obtaining a license or other right or benefit. Such administrative adjudications include, without limitation, those of a declaratory nature respecting the payment of money or resulting in injunctive relief requiring a named party to act or refrain from acting or threatening to act in some way required or forbidden by law or regulation under which the agency is operating. (4) "Court" means the Superior Court of the State except for appeals from the Division of Child Support Enforcement, which will be heard by the Family Court of the State. (5) "License" means the whole or part of any agency permit, certificate, approval, registration, charter or similar form of permission required by law, but it does not include a license required solely for revenue purposes. (6) "Party" means each person or agency named or admitted in an agency proceeding as a party, or properly seeking and entitled as of right to be admitted as a party to an agency proceeding. (7) "Regulation" means any statement of law, procedure, policy, right, requirement or prohibition formulated and promulgated by an agency as a rule or standard, or as a guide for the decision of cases thereafter by it or by any other agency, authority or court. Such statements do not include locally operative highway signs or markers, or an agency's explanation of or reasons for its decision of a case, advisory ruling or opinion given upon a hypothetical or other stated fact situation or terms of an injunctive order or license.