A bill that would speed up the release of public records –– including police reports –– in Rhode Island is on its way to the House floor for a final vote.

The proposal would amend Rhode Island’s access to open records bill, reducing the amount of time one must wait for such records from 10 days to 7 and require the release of basic arrest information within 24 hours.

After multiple amendments and weeks of delays, the compromised bill passed the Senate and headed for the House, along with a matching proposal on the House side.

Both bills were approved with no discussion by the House Finance Committee Thursday afternoon and were raced to the floor, where today’s session is already under way.

"It’s about showing the Rhode Island public that the Rhode Island government is there for them," Christine Lopes, executive director of the government watchdog group, Common Cause RI, has said of the bill.

-- Cynthia Needham, Journal State House Bureau