New Tennessee Bill Could Impose 'Exorbitant' Fees to View Public Records

The proposed legislation would eliminate the public's right to free inspection of government documents.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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A new bill co-sponsored by a Johnson City state representative would allow government entities in Tennessee to charge members of the public and the media exorbitant fees to inspect public records, effectively reversing a portion of the state's Open Records Act that has been in place since 1957. Critics argue this would create a barrier between citizens and their right to access information about how their government operates.

Why it matters

Transparency and public access to government records are cornerstones of a healthy democracy. This proposed legislation could severely limit the public's ability to hold their elected officials and government agencies accountable by making it prohibitively expensive for many citizens to view public documents.

The details

The bill would allow government entities to base inspection fees on an attorney's hourly rate if legal expertise is deemed necessary to review or redact material. This could result in charges of hundreds or even thousands of dollars for members of the public to access records such as spending details, police body camera footage, or internal communications. While businesses may be able to afford these fees, everyday citizens would be the most impacted, potentially being denied access to public information they have a right to view.

  • The bill was introduced in the Tennessee legislature last week.
  • Similar legislation was proposed in 2015 but was quickly shot down after public backlash.

The players

Rebecca Alexander

A Johnson City state representative who is a co-sponsor of the bill.

Deborah Fisher

The executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, who argues the bill would create a new exemption to the public records law.

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What’s next

The bill has not yet been assigned to a subcommittee, but similar legislation was quickly shot down in 2015 after public backlash.

The takeaway

This proposed legislation threatens to undermine the public's fundamental right to access information about their government's operations and activities. If enacted, it could create a troubling precedent of limiting transparency and accountability in Tennessee.