MS SB2620

Amends Section 25-61-9 of the Mississippi Code to require courts to award attorney's fees and costs to third parties when seeking protective orders for duplicative public records requests.

A court must order a requesting person or entity to reimburse third party costs and attorney's fees if the court determines the requests are duplicative or substantially similar to records already subject to an existing protective order.

Maintains existing 21-day notice period for third parties to file a petition for a protective order in chancery court before public records containing trade secrets or confidential commercial information must be released.

Takes effect July 1, 2022.