NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Comptroller Justin Wilson's move to automatically waive the first $25 in fees for public records requests is drawing praise from open government advocates.

The proposed rules scheduled to be reviewed by state lawmakers on Wednesday afternoon would also give the comptroller the discretion to waive all costs related to public record searches and copies.

Tennessee Coalition on Open Government founding director Frank Gibson said the comptroller's fee waiver provision should become a model for other state and local agencies.

Gibson noted that state law allows agencies to adopt reasonable fees but doesn't require them to be charged.

The state's Office of Open Records Counsel, which recommends statewide guidelines, is under Wilson's jurisdiction. But the proposed rule change would only apply to the comptroller's office.

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