Open Records

Governor Kelly is committed to the public policy established by the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA), which states that public records be open for inspection by the public unless otherwise provided by Kansas law. If you would like to submit a request for records to the Governor’s Office, please review the information provided on this page.

You have the right to inspect and obtain copies of public records that Governor Kelly maintains that are not otherwise exempt from disclosure by a specific law. The governor is only required to provide public records that already exist. There is no requirement to create a record at your request.

The Governor’s Office will act upon requests as soon as possible, providing some response to the requestor within three business days following receipt of the request. The response may inform you that producing the records will take additional time. Reasons for additional time may include voluminous records, complicated request parameters, unresolved legal issues, or difficulty in accessing archived records. The response may deny your request, in whole or in part. If the request is denied, we will identify generally the records denied.

How to Request a Public Record

Requests for public records must be submitted in writing. Requests can be sent to the following email address:

Email: GOKORA@ks.gov

To expedite the process, please provide a specific description of the record you seek. We may request clarification to ensure your request is fulfilled.

Fees

You may be charged a reasonable fee for staff time and expenses incurred processing your request. We may require advance payment of the fee. The Governor’s Office will not assess a fee or charge for one (1) record request in a twelve-month period that can be provided with less than one hour of staff time.

If responsive public records exist but are voluminous, difficult to locate, or contain a mix of open and closed information, it is likely that prepaid fees will be required. If prepaid fees are required, the following rates apply:

• Copying fee: $0.25 per page after the first 25 pages; additional fees of $0.50 for the first five (5) pages sent by mail and $0.05 for each additional mailed page.
  
  
• Staff time for which you will be charged includes time spent accessing, identifying, reviewing, redacting, copying, or organizing responsive or potentially responsive records.
• Clerical Services: $18/hour
  
  
• Information Technology (IT): $38/hour
  
  
• Attorney Services: $55/hour for Chief Counsel
                                $33/hour for Deputy Chief Counsel
  
  
• Other staff time will be charged at the rate of pay for each employee whose time is needed to respond to your request.

Exceptions to the Kansas Open Records Act

The KORA recognizes that certain records contain private or privileged information. Exceptions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Certain personnel information of public employees
• Medical treatment records
• Records protected by the attorney-client privilege or an attorney work product
• Records closed by the rules of evidence
• Records containing personal information
• Notes and preliminary drafts
• Criminal investigations
• Records otherwise required by law to be confidential

A detailed list of Kansas Open Records Act exemptions can be found in K.S.A. 45-221.