FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that attempts to clarify the Kentucky Open Records Act regarding businesses that derive at least 25 percent of their funds from government.

Kentucky Press Association Executive Director David Thompson testified in favor of the bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Johnny Bell of Glasgow, telling the committee it was never the intent of the law that it be applied to a business's private transactions, only to transactions with government.

Recently, Bell said, the law has sometimes been misinterpreted to consider those businesses public agencies and therefore subject to the open records provisions.

Thompson said he had discussed the issue with Jon Fleischaker, co-author of the act, who told him that was never the intent.

The legislation is House Bill 496.