HB 974 — An Act amending the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law, in procedure, further providing for written requests.

PRINTER'S NO.   1057

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 974
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, HARKINS, OTTEN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HILL-
        EVANS, GIRAL, CERRATO, KHAN, SANCHEZ, MALAGARI, D. WILLIAMS,
        CIRESI, GREEN, DALEY AND BOYD, MARCH 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND
        OPERATIONS, MARCH 19, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), entitled
 2      "An act providing for access to public information, for a
 3      designated open-records officer in each Commonwealth agency,
 4      local agency, judicial agency and legislative agency, for
 5      procedure, for appeal of agency determination, for judicial
 6      review and for the Office of Open Records; imposing
 7      penalties; providing for reporting by State-related
 8      institutions; requiring the posting of certain State contract
 9      information on the Internet; and making related repeals," in
10      procedure, further providing for written requests.
11      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12   hereby enacts as follows:
13      Section 1.    Section 703 of the act of February 14, 2008
14   (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law, is amended to
15   read:
16   Section 703.    Written requests.
17      (a)   Process.--A written request for access to records may be
18   submitted in person, by mail, by e-mail, by facsimile or, to the
19   extent provided by agency rules, by any other electronic means.
20   A written request must be addressed to the open-records officer
21   designated pursuant to section 502. Employees of an agency shall
 1   be directed to forward requests for records to the open-records
 2   officer. A written request [should] must identify or describe
 3   the records sought with sufficient specificity to enable the
 4   agency to ascertain which records are being requested and shall
 5   include the name and address to which the agency should address
 6   its response. A written request need not include any explanation
 7   of the requester's reason for requesting or intended use of the
 8   records unless otherwise required by law.
 9      (b)   Specificity consideration.--In determining whether a
10   request has sufficient specificity under this section, an open
11   records officer may consider:
12            (1)   the burden on the agency to conduct a good faith
13      effort under section 901 to fully review and to redact any
14      records within the time periods required by this act;
15            (2)   the potential harm to privacy or proprietary
16      interests of any third party if a full good faith effort
17      cannot reasonably be conducted within the time periods
18      required by this act; and
19            (3)   the requirements under any Federal or State law
20      related to disclosing records and the harm or penalties under
21      the law if records are or may be improperly released.
22      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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