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Transparency Zone: September/October 2024

18 November 2024

The denial of a request for reports relating to a 1981 death is upheld, citing the noncriminal investigation exemption. 2024-2522 A settlement agreement is not exempt from disclosure because it was presented to a quorum at a public meeting for purpose of deliberation. 2024-2238 Visit Hershey & Harrisburg is not an agency under the Right-to-Know … Continue reading Transparency Zone: September/October 2024


Exemptions, Explained: 708 (b)(10), Internal Records

18 November 2024

Exemption 708(b)(10) describes certain internal records that may be withheld in response to a Right-to-Know Law request. Deputy Chief Counsel Magdalene Zeppos-Brown provided the legal analysis. As of November 18, 2024, this exemption has been cited in 1,270 OOR appeals.   Section 708(b)(10) exempts: A series of case law explains the categories of records to which … Continue reading Exemptions, Explained: 708 (b)(10), Internal Records


OOR Updates the Standard RTKL Request Form and OOR’s RTKL Request Policy

4 October 2024

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


Transparency Zone, August 2024

17 September 2024

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


Transparency Zone, July 2024

23 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


Exemptions, Explained: 708 (b)(9), Certain Draft Records

6 August 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


Transparency Zone, May/June 2024

3 July 2024

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


Exemptions, Explained: 708 (b)(8), Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining Agreements

25 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


Attention Open Records Officers

18 June 2024

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


Exemptions, Explained: 708 (b)(7), Agency Employee Records

7 June 2024

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


Docket Date Title County Status
20243017 12/05/2024 Anjelica Hendricks and University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School v. Pittsburgh City Allegheny Withdrawn
20243016 12/05/2024 Anthony Sullivan v. City of Philadelphia Police Department Philadelphia Dismissed: Lack of Jurisdiction
20243015 12/05/2024 Kathleen Rich v. Bethlehem City (Northampton) Northampton Dismissed: Insufficient (Sec. 1101)
20242986 12/05/2024 Geff Blake and Blake & Walsh, LLC v. Scott Township (Lackawanna) Lackawanna Withdrawn
20242898 12/05/2024 Seeran Mizii v. Lancaster County Lancaster Dismissed: Noncompliance
20242819 12/05/2024 Robert Benchoff v. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Commonwealth Denied
20242693 12/05/2024 Michael Jones and Observer-Reporter v. Washington County Washington Partially Granted: Partially Moot
Date Organization
December 11, 2024, 10:00 AM [OPEN TO PUBLIC] Basics of the Right-to-Know Law Webinar
December 17, 2024, 10:00 AM [Open To Public] OOR Annual Training: The Latest Developments in the Right-to-Know Law
January 28, 2025, 6:30 PM PA House Right-to-Know Workshop
January 31, 2025, 12:00 PM PSBA Lunch and Learn Training Session