Georgia State Rep. Jill Chambers, R-Atlanta, said last week she plans to introduce legislation to rewrite the entire Open Records Act, O.C.G.A �50-18-70, to make it easier to understand, impose felony penalties on violators and possibly eliminate some exemptions. State Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, will carry the bill in the state Senate, Chambers said.
Chambers said she wants to make “willfully and knowingly violating” the Open Records Act a felony subject to a fine of up to $5,000. Current penalties are typically a misdemeanor subject to a $100 fine and the option of filing a suit. She also said she wants the law to retain its exceptions for Social Security numbers and credit card information.
