{"AmendmentNumber":"11","ParentBillNumber":"S3200","Bill":null,"Sponsor":{"Id":"BET0","Name":"Bruce E. Tarr","Type":1,"Details":"https://malegislature.gov/api/GeneralCourts/194/LegislativeMembers/BET0","ResponseDate":"2026-07-27T13:02:38.667"},"Category":null,"Action":null,"RollCall":[],"Title":"Applying the public records law to the Judiciary ","Branch":"Senate","RedraftNumber":null,"IsFurther":false,"GeneralCourtNumber":194,"Text":"Mr. Tarr moves that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section _the following section:-\r\nSECTION_. Chapter 66 of the General Laws as appearing in the 2024 official edition is hereby amended by inserting after Section 22 the following new section:—\r\nSection 23. (a) Definitions. As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:—\r\n\"Core adjudicative record\", any record, document, draft, preliminary note, or communication created, received, or maintained by the judicial branch that directly relates to the adjudication of cases, judicial deliberations, case management, probation or parole operations, or attorney discipline.\r\n\"Judicial administrative record\", any documentary material or data, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by the executive office of the trial court or the office of court management, that relates exclusively to the non-adjudicative, administrative operations of the judicial branch.\r\n\"Judicial records access officer\", the employee or employees designated by the court administrator to coordinate responses to requests for judicial administrative records.\r\n(b) Designation of Records Access Officer. The court administrator of the trial court shall designate 1 or more employees as judicial records access officers. The officers shall assist requesters in identifying responsive records and shall coordinate the judicial branch's compliance with this section.\r\n(c) Scope of Access. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a judicial administrative record shall be subject to public inspection and copying under section 10; provided, however, any of the following categories of records shall be explicitly exempt from disclosure:\r\n(i) Any core adjudicative record.\r\n(ii) Any record specifically sealed or protected from disclosure by an order of the Supreme Judicial Court or a judge of the trial court.\r\n(iii) Personal notes, draft memoranda, and internal communications of justices, clerks, or judicial staff concerning the disposition of any legal matter.\r\n(iv) Records pertaining to court security procedures, physical security of courthouses, and judicial protection protocols, the disclosure of which would jeopardize public safety.\r\n(v) Any record otherwise exempt from disclosure pursuant to clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4.\r\n(d) For the purposes of this section, records concerning judicial branch vendor contracts, facilities management, procurement of goods and services, aggregate statistical reports on court operations, and technology expenditures shall be presumed to be judicial administrative records.\r\n(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to abrogate or infringe upon the inherent constitutional authority of the judicial branch to manage its internal operations or to regulate the practice of law pursuant to Article XXX of the Declaration of Rights of the Constitution.\r\n"}