50-18-70 G
*** CODE SECTION ***  08/27/01
   
  50-18-70.
   
  (a) As used in this article, the term "public record" shall mean all
  documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs,
  computer based or generated information, or similar material
  prepared and maintained or received in the course of the operation
  of a public office or agency.  "Public record" shall also mean such
  items received or maintained by a private person or entity on behalf
  of a public office or agency which are not otherwise subject to
  protection from disclosure; provided, however, this Code section
  shall be construed to disallow an agency's placing or causing such
  items to be placed in the hands of a private person or entity for
  the purpose of avoiding disclosure.  Records received or maintained
  by a private person, firm, corporation, or other private entity in
  the performance of a service or function for or on behalf of an
  agency, a public agency, or a public office shall be subject to
  disclosure to the same extent that such records would be subject to
  disclosure if received or maintained by such agency, public agency,
  or public office.  As used in this article, the term "agency" or
  "public agency" or "public office" shall have the same meaning and
  application as provided for in the definition of the term "agency"
  in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 50-14-1 and shall
  additionally include any association, corporation, or other similar
  organization which: (1) has a membership or ownership body composed
  primarily of counties, municipal corporations, or school districts
  of this state or their officers or any combination thereof; and (2)
  derives a substantial portion of its general operating budget from
  payments from such political subdivisions.
   
  (b) All public records of an agency as defined in subsection (a) of
  this Code section, except those which by order of a court of this
  state or by law are prohibited or specifically exempted from being
  open to inspection by the general public, shall be open for a
  personal inspection by any citizen of this state at a reasonable
  time and place; and those in charge of such records shall not refuse
  this privilege to any citizen.

(c) Any computerized index of a county real estate deed records
  shall be printed for purposes of public inspection no less than
  every 30 days and any correction made on such index shall be made a
  part of the printout and shall reflect the time and date that said
  index was corrected.
   
  (d) No public officer or agency shall be required to prepare
  reports, summaries, or compilations not in existence at the time of
  the request.
   
  (e) In a pending proceeding under Chapter 13 of this title, the
  "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," or under any other
  administrative proceeding authorized under Georgia law, a party may
  not access public records pertaining to the subject of the
  proceeding pursuant to this article without the prior approval of
  the presiding administrative law judge, who shall consider such open
  record request in the same manner as any other request for
  information put forth by a party in such a proceeding.  This
  subsection shall not apply to any proceeding under Chapter 13 of
  this title, relating to the revocation, suspension, annulment,
  withdrawal, or denial of a professional education certificate, as
  defined in Code Section 20-2-200, or any personnel proceeding
  authorized under Part 7 and Part 11 of Article 17 and Article 25 of
  Chapter 2 of Title 20.
   
  (f) The individual in control of such public record or records shall
  have a reasonable amount of time to determine whether or not the
  record or records requested are subject to access under this article
  and to permit inspection and copying.  In no event shall this time
  exceed three business days.  Where responsive records exist but are
  not available within three business days of the request, a written
  description of such records, together with a timetable for their
  inspection and copying, shall be provided within that period;
  provided, however, that records not subject to inspection under this
  article need not be made available for inspection and copying or
  described other than as required by subsection (h) of Code Section
  50-18-72, and no records need be made available for inspection or
  copying if the public officer or agency in control of such records
  shall have obtained, within that period of three business days, an
  order based on an exception in this article of a superior court of
  this state staying or refusing the requested access to such records.
   
  (g) At the request of the person, firm, corporation, or other entity
  requesting such records, records maintained by computer shall be
  made available where practicable by electronic means, including
  Internet access, subject to reasonable security restrictions
  preventing access to nonrequested or nonavailable records.