Alabama Senate Bill 165 would create a new Alabama Public Records Act to set standards for public records requests, including set fees, and establish a state Public Records Counselor to deal with disputes. Senator Arthur Orr (R) introduced this bill during the 2021 Alabama Legislative Session. The bill has been indefinitely postponed.

 

Currently, state and local governments may charge high fees for public records and there is little accountability with the timely delivery of records requests. If requests are denied, a citizen's only recourse is through expensive appeals.