Revised Code of Washington 42.56 Public Records Act (PRA) requires that state and local agencies make all public records available to all members of the public, with very narrow statutory exemptions. Public records include any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics. Within the context of the public records act, the term “writing” means physical or electronic copies of documents, photographs, recordings and other type of data.