Charges, Payment And Waivers

(1) The Department shall assess charges for the copying and labor required to produce copies of the requested Public Records based on the most current version of the Schedule of Reasonable Charges, issued by the OORC, with the exception that the Department’s labor threshold will be two (2) hours. The Schedule of Reasonable Charges is available on the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury’s website on the OORC page. (2) The Department shall provide a Requestor with a written, itemized estimate of the copying or labor charges prior to producing copies of records. The Requestor must agree, in writing, to pay the charges prior to the Department producing the Public Records. Payment in advance will be required before producing requested Public Records. (3) When charges for copies and labor do not exceed $10.00, the charges may be waived by the PRRC. (4) Payment of charges shall be payable to the Department of General Services in the form of a cashier’s check, money order, or other reliable means as determined by the Department. (5) Should the Department use an outside vendor to compile, review or redact Public Records in response to a public records request, then the Department shall charge the Requestor the vendor’s costs. (6) The Commissioner, or the Commissioner’s designee, may waive or reduce any part of the fees calculated under these rules upon a written determination that such waiver or reduction would be in the best interests of the public.