Rhode Island gets a “D” when it comes to responsiveness of officials to requests for public records and, unfortunately, according to a recently released study, the state has plenty of company.

In a study of Freedom of Information Act requests conducted by the Better Government Association and the National Freedom of Information Coalition, nearly 40 states were given a failing grade — less than 50 percent — when judged by five criteria:

•Amount of time an agency has to respond to a request.

•The process a person must go through to appeal a decision to deny a request.

•Whether an appeal is expedited in court.

•Whether the complaining party is awarded attorney fees after winning an appeal.

•Whether an agency that wrongfully withholds records is subject to civil or criminal punishment.

Rhode Island scored 66 percent, with only eight states rated more favorably. Alabama and South Dakota came in last, with zero percent. Nebraska and New Jersey had the highest ratings — 87 percent.

An analysis of the report says the tools available to Americans nationwide to help enforce their FOIA rights are “endemically weak.”

“Although several states posted respectable numbers in our survey of their Freedom of Information Acts, it is clear that most states still have a lot of work to do in making their governments more accessible and transparent,” Jay Stewart, executive director of BGA, said in the analysis.

“Even a low score of 66 percent” — Rhode Island’s score — “puts a state in the top ten of the rankings.”