I: Major elements of revised Pa. Right-to-Know Law
The Associated Press
Major provisions of the Right-to-Know Law that took full effect in January 2009:
Major provisions of the Right-to-Know Law that took full effect in January 2009:
- People no longer have to prove a record is public — government agencies that want to withhold records have to prove they are legally entitled to do so.
- The old law allowed access to six types of records: minutes, orders, decisions, accounts, vouchers and contracts. The new law says records are open, beyond a list of exceptions.
- The law allows agencies to withhold, among other things, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, home or cellular phone numbers, personal financial information, medical records that identify individuals, and the names, home addresses and birth dates of children.
- Agencies must respond to records requests within five business days, but can get a 30-day extension.
- The new law treats the Legislature differently — access to legislative records is largely limited to financial documents and records that pertain to its meetings and decisions.
- The Office of Open Records was established to handle many types of disputes over access.
- Agencies found by a court to have denied access to records in bad faith can be fined $1,500, and those that do not promptly comply with court orders can be fined as much as $500 a day.