The Office of Open Records has two important updates to share: 1) We have updated the Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form. Among other changes, the form is now two pages and includes a required checkbox affirming that the provided name and contact information is accurate and that the requester is a legal resident of the … Continue reading OOR Updates the Standard RTKL Request Form and OOR’s RTKL Request Policy
In certain situations, an agency may withhold records documenting another agency’s investigation. 2024-1042 A township must provide copies of the checks requested, even if those checks are stored by a bank. Where an agency does not have physical possession of a record of the agency, but it is held by a third-party custodian, the agency … Continue reading Transparency Zone, August 2024
A $32,050 fee was invalid due to the cost estimation not being “more than a guess”. However, the agency was permitted to seek prepayment of fees based upon a good faith estimate. 2024-0956 Similar requests are not necessarily disruptive. An agency must provide evidence that a request is disruptive. 2024-1625 The Office of Open Records … Continue reading Transparency Zone, July 2024
Exemption 708(b)(9) describes certain draft records that may be withheld in response to a Right-to-Know Law request. Appeals Officer Topé Quadri provided the legal analysis. As of August 6, 2024, this exemption has been cited in 166 OOR appeals. Section 708(b)(9) exempts: The draft of a bill, resolution, regulation, statement of policy, management directive, ordinance … Continue reading Exemptions, Explained: 708 (b)(9), Certain Draft Records
2024-0939: The clearance procedures of a prison x-ray body scanner are exempt, but the testing/maintenance records of a prison x-ray machine are accessible under the RTKL. 2024-1033: A list of property addresses and corresponding terminology used by a city councilmember are not exempt under the RTKL as personal notes or working papers. 2024-0921: A county … Continue reading Transparency Zone, May/June 2024
In this post, we discuss records related to labor relations and collective bargaining agreements, covered in section 708(b)(8). Senior Appeals Officer Kelly Isenberg provided the legal analysis. As of June 24, 2024, this exemption has been cited in 99 OOR appeals. Section 708(b)(8) exempts: Common sense dictates that publicly releasing records related to agency labor … Continue reading Exemptions, Explained: 708 (b)(8), Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining Agreements
Good afternoon. Earlier today, we sent all agency open records officers registered with our office a link to a survey. Understanding the challenges facing agencies who are subject to the Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) is an important goal of the Office of Open Records (OOR); this survey project is a critical way to gather that information. … Continue reading Attention Open Records Officers
Next, we discuss records related to agency employees. Section 708(b)(7) protects certain records related to employees’ information. Chief Counsel Kyle Applegate provided the legal analysis for this exemption. As of June 7, 2024, this exemption has been cited in 584 OOR appeals. Section 708(b)(7) exempts “the following records relating to an agency employee: The specific … Continue reading Exemptions, Explained: 708 (b)(7), Agency Employee Records
The OOR has been contacted by numerous agencies who have received Right-to-Know Law requests from requesters using FOIA Buddy. Please read this for more information.
The Liquor Control Board demonstrated that granting access to bourbon whiskey delivery schedule records to different County liquor stores would threaten the security of an individual. This decision has been appealed to Commonwealth Court. 2024-0251 The applications of unsuccessful applicants for a position, including those applicants’ names, are exempt records. 2024-0539 The Copyright Act may prohibit … Continue reading Transparency Zone, April 2024
| Docket | Date | Title | County | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20242878 | 11/15/2024 | Megan Shannon v. City of Philadelphia City Council | Philadelphia | Dismissed: Premature |
| 20242877 | 11/15/2024 | Calvin Thompkins v. Cumberland County | Cumberland | Dismissed: Insufficient (Sec. 1101) |
| 20242747 | 11/15/2024 | Erika Burkhart and Orange Township v. Orangeville Borough | Columbia | Dismissed: Noncompliance |
| 20242713 | 11/15/2024 | Beau Brown v. Harrisburg City | Dauphin | Denied |
| 20242705 | 11/15/2024 | Clifford Rieders and Rieders, Travis, Dohrmann, Mowrey, Humphrey, & Waters v. Pennsylvania Department of Health | Commonwealth | Partially Granted/Partially Denied |
| 20242631 | 11/15/2024 | Laura Smith v. Pennsylvania State Police | Commonwealth | Denied |
| 20242398 | 11/15/2024 | Jonathan Roth v. Lehigh Township (Northampton) | Northampton | Denied |
| Date | Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| November 27, 2024, 10:00 AM | [OPEN TO PUBLIC] Basics of the Sunshine Act Webinar | |
| December 11, 2024, 10:00 AM | [OPEN TO PUBLIC] Basics of the Right-to-Know Law Webinar | |
| January 31, 2025, 12:00 PM | PSBA Lunch and Learn Training Session |
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