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<section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="4-1A-04" title_number="4" title_name="Public Information Act" subtitle_number="1A" subtitle_name="State Public Information Act Compliance Board">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Board shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>receive, review, and, subject to § 4–1A–07 of this subtitle, resolve complaints filed under § 4–1A–05 of this subtitle from any applicant or the applicant’s designated representative alleging that a custodian:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>denied inspection of a public record in violation of this title;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>charged an unreasonable fee under § 4–206 of this title of more than $350; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>failed to respond to a request for a public record within the time limits established under § 4–203(a) or (d) of this title;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>issue a written decision as to whether a violation has occurred; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>order the custodian to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>if the Board finds that the custodian has denied inspection of a public record in violation of this title, produce the public record for inspection;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>if the Board finds that the custodian charged an unreasonable fee under § 4–206 of this title, reduce the fee to an amount determined by the Board to be reasonable and refund the difference; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>if the Board finds that the custodian failed to respond to a request for a public record within the time limits established under § 4–203(a) or (d) of this title:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>promptly respond; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>at the Board’s discretion and only if the written decision includes the Board’s reasons for ordering the waiver, waive all or part of the fee the custodian is otherwise entitled to charge under § 4–206 of this title.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Board shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>receive, review, and, subject to § 4–1A–07 of this subtitle, resolve complaints filed under § 4–1A–05 of this subtitle from any custodian alleging that an applicant’s request or pattern of requests is frivolous, vexatious, or in bad faith;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>issue a written decision as to whether the applicant’s request or pattern of requests is frivolous, vexatious, or in bad faith; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>if the Board finds that the applicant’s request is frivolous, vexatious, or in bad faith, based on the totality of the circumstances including the number and scope of the applicant’s past requests and the custodian’s responses to past requests and efforts to cooperate with the applicant, issue an order authorizing the custodian to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>ignore the request that is the subject of the custodian’s complaint; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>respond to a less burdensome version of the request within a reasonable time frame, as determined by the Board.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Board shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>adopt regulations to carry out this subtitle;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>study ongoing compliance with this title by custodians; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>make recommendations to the General Assembly for improvements to this title.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before October 1 of each year, the Board shall submit a report to the Governor and, subject to § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The report shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>describe the activities of the Board;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>describe the decisions of the Board;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>state the number and nature of complaints filed with the Board; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>recommend any improvements to this title.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
