Records officers should respond to GRAMA requests as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than ten business days after receiving the written request; or, if the requester has asked for an expedited response, no later than five business days.

An expedited response can be requested when obtaining the information benefits the public rather than a person. GRAMA states that, “Any person who requests information for a story or report for publication or broadcast to the general public is presumed to be acting to benefit the public rather than a person.” If a records officer declines to expedite a response, he or she must notify the requester within five business days.

There are four possible ways to respond to a GRAMA request. They are:

provide the record;

deny the request, following the denial provisions of GRAMA;

notify the requester that it does not maintain the record and provide a referral to another agency if known; or

claim extraordinary circumstances exist that require more time before a response can be given.

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