"An Act to Improve Public Records", Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2016 made significant changes to the Public Records Law that took effect on January 1, 2017. The Supervisor of Records has promulgated regulations 950 CMR 32 to implement the Public Records Law.
The Public Records Law creates a position called the Records Access Officer (RAO). Regulations define the RAO as a governmental officer or employee within the municipality designated to perform duties described in 950 CMR 32 including:
Coordinating a response to the request for access to public records
Assisting Individuals Seeking Public Records in Identifying the Records Requested
Prepare guidelines that enable requestors to make informed requests regarding the availability of such public records electronically or otherwise