REPORT of the SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE on INITIATIVE PETITIONS on the INITIATIVE PETITION of DANIELLE SUSAN ALLEN AND OTHERS FOR THE PASSAGE OF AN ACT TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS (see House, No. 5004).

This report recommends that the Massachusetts Legislature take no action on a citizen-initiated petition seeking to apply the state's public records law to the Governor's office and the Legislature. The proposed measure would have required the Secretary of the Commonwealth, an executive official, to enforce the law against legislative branches, which the committee determined violates the state constitution's separation of powers. Additionally, the committee noted that the petition's proposed exemptions for constituent communications and policy development records were too narrow to address legal concerns and could hinder open debate. The report also highlighted that the legislative process is already highly transparent and that enforcing the petition would impose significant administrative burdens on state agencies.