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Jeff Niese, The Morning News

A state legislative commission studying how freedom-of-information laws will affect electronic records in Arkansas said Friday that public agencies will not have to be burdened with creating new records.

The Electronic Records Study Commission, composed of journalists, lawyers and state officials, met Friday in Fayetteville as part of its legislative-appointed mission to send to the General Assembly a recommendation next year about how freedom-of-information laws should affect information on computers.

The state’s existing Freedom of Information Act was developed in the 1960s and does not have specific language regarding such 1990s creations as e-mail, chat rooms and cyber meetings.

Friday, the group reviewed comments from state officials, many of whom expressed concern that a new freedom-of-information law on electronic data might force them to spend countless hours creating documents that did not previously exist.

“If you have to create a new program, then that’s a different animal,” said John Watkins, a member of the commission and a law professor at the University of Arkansas.

The concern arose over one of 10 draft principles the commission sent to government officials for their response.

The principle that some officials questioned had stated that public records should be released in the form requested. If someone requests information electronically, for instance, rather than as a traditional paper document, the state agency would have to comply and supply an electronic version of the information.

During the meeting, commissioners added language that clarifies that requests for public records must be met but must be met by using existing resources.

The commission is expected to send its recommendation to the General Assembly.