It shall be the stated policy of the State Board of Dental
Examiners that the terms, conditions, and mandates contained in the Mississippi
Public Records Act of 1983, Miss. Code Ann. §
25-61-1
et.
seq., shall be strictly observed.
The following procedures shall be implemented and complied
with by any individual exercising his or her right to inspect, copy or
mechanically reproduce or obtain a reproduction of any public record held and
controlled by the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners, to-wit (except
where prohibited by the Federal Privacy Act):
1. A person requesting any public record held
or controlled by the State Board of Dental Examiners may do so either in
writing or in person. The request shall be clear and concise and shall include
only one subject matter.
2. The
request shall be addressed to the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners,
Suite 100, 600 East Amite Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 39201-2801.
3. Any such request for records or the
reproduction of records shall be acted upon within fourteen (14) working days
computed from the date of receipt of the request. Denial shall contain the
specific reason for the denial. Copies of all denials shall be maintained on
file by the Board for not less than three (3) years from the date denial is
made.
4. Access to non-exempt
records will be allowed during regular business hours.
5. If any public record which is held to be
exempt from disclosure contains material which is not exempt, the Board shall
separate the exempt material and make the non-exempt material available for
examination and/or copying.
6. When
fees are appropriate, the fees must be paid prior to the Board's compliance
with the request. Only cash, money orders and cashier's checks will be accepted
in payment for fees.
7. Records
furnished to the Board by third parties, which are not public bodies, as
defined in the Public Records Access Act, will not be released until notice to
the third parties has been given. The record shall be released in fourteen (14)
days unless the third party obtains a court order protecting the records as
confidential.
8. The Executive
Director of the State Board of Dental Examiners or his/her designee has the
authority to specify the mode, manner, time and place of access.
9. Costs:
A. Any person who desires copies of public
record as defined herein but does not officially represent a public body shall
be charged twenty-five cents ($.25) per mechanically reproduced copy. Copies of
pages printed on both sides (front and back) shall be considered as two pages.
This fee is for the cost of searching, reviewing and duplicating the public
record. However, if the searching, reviewing or duplicating of documents or the
separating of non-exempt material from documents, etc. containing exempt
material requires more than one quarter hour of work, then the requesting party
shall be charged for the work time above one quarter hour, in addition to a
mechanical reproduction charge of twenty-five cents ($.25) per page for any
copies desired. The charge for the hour shall be based upon the hourly salary
of the person at the Board, qualified and available to do the job.
B. In the event the public record is
available in computer files and can be obtained through computer use, then the
requesting party may pay the charge for the computer including programming time
and actual computer time, as well as any other costs incurred. This charge will
be determined by the Board.
C.
Mailing costs calculated at the applicable United States Postal Service rates
shall be charged where appropriate. The cost of mailing a notice to third
parties via certified mail, return receipt requested, shall be charged to
persons requesting the public records.
