Lisa Zullo v. Executive Office of Health and Human Services - Department of Transitional Assistance (SPR 20160355)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Shawn A. Williams Supervisor ofR ecords June 3, 2016 SPR16/355 Ms. Sharon Torgerson Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance 600 Washington Street Boston, MA 02111 Dear Ms. Torgerson: I have received the petition of Lisa Zullo appealing the nonresponse of the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (Department) to a request for public records. G. L. c. 66 § 10(b); see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(2). Specifically, Ms. Zullo requested records regarding the Department's funded CNA training program for a specific time period. Despite our letter to your Department dated May 25, 2016 acknowledging the opening of this appeal and a communication to you by a member of my staff, no response has been provided. The Public Records Law strongly favors disclosure by creating a presumption that all governmental records are public records. G. L. c. 66, § 1 0( c); 950 C.M.R. 32.08(4 ). "Public records" is broadly defined to include all documentary materials or data, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by any officer or employee of any town of the Commonwealth, unless falling within a statutory exemption. G. L. c. 4, § 7(26). It is the burden of the records custodian to demonstrate the application of an exemption in order to withhold a requested record. G. L. c. 66, § 1 0( c); see also District Attorney for the Norfolk Dist. v. Flatley, 419 Mass. 507, 511 (1995) (custodian has the burden of establishing the applicability of an exemption). I find the Department has failed to respond to a request for public records. Accordingly, the Department is hereby ordered to provide Ms. Zullo with a response to the request without delay, provided in a manner consistent with this order, the Public Records Law and its Regulations. If the Department maintains that any portion of the responsive records are exempt from disclosure it must provide to Ms. Zullo a written explanation, with specificity, how a particular exemption applies to each record. To meet the specificity requirement a custodian must not only cite an exemption, but must also state why the exemption applies to the withheld or redacted portion of the responsive record. A copy of any such response must be provided to OneAshburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 · (617) 727-2832 ·Fax (617) 727-5914 www.sec.state.ma.us/pre

Ms. Sharon Torgerson SPR16/355 Page 2 June 3, 2016 this office. It is preferable to send an electronic copy of this response to this office at pre@sec. state.ma. us. If there are any fees associated with this response a written, good faith estimate must be provided. G. L. c. 66, § 1O (a); see also 950 C.M.R. 32.06(2) (where cost of complying with a request for public records is expected to exceed ten dollars ($10.00), custodian of records shall provide written good faith estimate). Once the fees are paid, you must provide the responsive records. To assist in requesting and responding to requests for public records please refer to our publication, A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law. This document is available on the Internet, free of charge, at http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prepdf/guide.pdf. Attorneys on my staff are available during regular business hours to answer general questions regarding the Public Records Law. In addition, members of my staff will visit a records custodian in person to conduct training workshops on the Public Records Law upon requ st. Please contact my office directly at the telephone number provided in this determination £ further information. cc: Ms. Lisa Zullo