Most states have laws—statutes that are sometimes referred to as Acts—that make most government records open to the public. These laws are similar to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and are often known as open records acts or public information acts.

These public information or open records acts provide a mechanism for citizens to inspect or copy government records—and provide the governmental bodies from whom the records are requested with the right to withhold government records from the public in certain instances.

Public information or open records acts generally require a governmental entity to release information in response to a request for information. But if a governmental entity determines the information is excepted from disclosure under the law, then both the request and the information at issue must be reviewed by another governmental division. The reviewing division will issue a decision on whether the governmental entity is permitted to withhold the requested information or must release the information to the requestor (often a citizen or member of the media).

These public information or open records laws vary from state to state and are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In Connecticut, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) governs the access to public records and meetings. Under Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 14, Sections 1-200 to 1-291, the public has the right to access records and attend meetings of all public agencies, with certain exceptions. These exceptions include records that are deemed confidential by law, such as certain personnel or medical files, law enforcement records, trade secrets, and other categories outlined in the statutes. When a request for information is made, the governmental agency must respond within four business days. If the agency denies access to records, the requester can appeal to the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, which will review the decision and can order the release of the information if it determines that the records are not exempt from disclosure. The Connecticut FOIA is designed to ensure transparency and accountability of government entities, while also balancing the need to protect sensitive information.