Information being disseminated to the public is governed by the following: Agency policies, local government, state laws and federal laws.

• A. Local government, state laws, and federal laws
• B. Individual agencies, state laws and federal laws
• C. Agency policies and local government
• D. Agency policies, local government, state laws and federal laws

Answer: (D)

Public information dissemination is governed by multiple layers of authority, not just one source. You must follow how an agency handles releasing information internally (agency policies), plus any rules the local government imposes (local open records or disclosure requirements). Beyond that, state laws set statewide standards for what must be disclosed, what can be withheld, and how records are handled. Federal laws add nationwide requirements and protections, such as the right to access information under FOIA and privacy or security protections that apply across states.

So, the correct approach accounts for agency policies, local government rules, state laws, and federal laws all working together. If you skip any of these, you risk noncompliance in some part of the information release process.