House Bill 1964 (H-1343.1) amends RCW 42.56.080 to change procedures for public records requests. The changes are procedural: they revise what counts as a valid request, require agencies to make requested identifiable records promptly available (including partial or installment releases), and add new rules about how certain requests must be made and handled. The bill specifies that a public records request must be for identifiable records and that a request for all or substantially all records of an agency is not a valid request; however a request for all records about a topic or containing a keyword or name is not the same as requesting all agency records. A request for a recording that a school district board must retain under RCW 42.30.035(2) is only an identifiable request if the requester specifies a date or range of dates, and the district must consider only date when searching for those recordings. Agencies may not deny an identifiable-record request solely because it is overbroad, must not distinguish among requesters, must make agency facilities available for copying unless doing so would unreasonably disrupt operations, and must honor requests received in person during normal hours or by mail or email. No official format is required for requests, though agencies may recommend forms. The bill adds a requirement that anyone requesting a list of individuals sign a declaration under penalty of perjury stating the request is not for commercial purposes and stating the purpose; the Office of the Attorney General must provide a template. It allows agencies to deny a "bot request" — defined as a request an agency reasonably believes was automatically generated by a computer program or script — when it is one of multiple requests from the same requester within 24 hours and responding would cause excessive interference. The text provided does not define "identifiable records," does not include the Attorney General's template, and does not state an effective date or set out enforcement mechanisms or penalties for false declarations or for disputes over denials.

If enacted, state and local agencies will have to accept and process only requests that ask for identifiable records, make records available promptly (including partial or installment releases), and generally cannot reject requests just because they are overbroad or because of who is asking. Agencies must accept requests in person during normal hours, by mail, or by email and may recommend but cannot require a specific form. School district board recordings that the district must keep under RCW 42.30.035(2) will only be treated as valid requests when a date or date range is specified, and districts may consider no other search criteria when locating those recordings. Agencies also must provide copying facilities to requestors unless doing so would unreasonably disrupt operations, and they may refuse repeat “bot” requests within a 24‑hour window if responding would cause excessive interference. The groups most affected are public records offices at state and local agencies and school district staff, who will likely face increased administrative work to process more partial releases, collect signed noncommercial declarations from anyone requesting lists of individuals (using an Attorney General template), and develop procedures for identifying and denying bot requests. Requestors who seek lists of people will now need to sign a sworn noncommercial purpose declaration, which may deter some commercial buyers but adds burdens for both requestors and agencies. Key practical details are unclear from the text provided—most importantly what exactly counts as an “identifiable record,” how “list of individuals” is defined, what the Attorney General’s template will require, and how agencies must document or justify denials of bot requests—so agencies may need guidance before fully implementing these changes.