Test Drive Our New Site! We have some improvements in the works that we're excited for you to experience. Click here to try our new, faster, mobile friendly beta site. We will be maintaining our current version of the site thru mid 2025, so you can switch back as our improvements continue.
Legislation Quick Search
11/14/2024 12:20 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=16656
Share:
Home / House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Subscribe to PaLegis Notifications
NEW!

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

By Member | By Date | Keyword Search


House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: January 14, 2015 11:43 AM
From: Representative Justin J. Simmons
To: All House members
Subject: Right to Know Law -- Fee Requests for Commercial Purposes
 
You may be aware of municipalities in your district that have been flooded by numerous public records requests from businesses seeking information that will be used for commercial purposes. There are many situations in which the information contained in such records is used to market various products and services.

The implications of this situation are two-fold. First, the resources of local government offices – sometimes staffed by one or two individuals, or a part time employee – may be overwhelmed by Right-to-Know requests made for a commercial purpose. Secondly, taxpayers, who pay the salaries of these local government employees, may be shortchanged when employees must dedicate substantial amounts of time and energy to fulfilling public records requests from business enterprises, some of which are located in other regions of the Commonwealth or out-of-state.

For these reasons, I intend to introduce legislation that will permit local and state agencies to charge additional search, review and duplication fees when responding to public record requests made for a commercial purpose. Under my proposal, each requester will be required to indicate whether the request is being made for a commercial purpose. The additional search, review and duplication fees under my legislation will be approved by the Office of Open Records. Additionally, the fees must be reasonable and cannot be established with the intent or effect of excluding individuals from access to records.

I believe that my legislation will balance the importance of the general public’s right to know with the value of preserving the ability of our local governments to balance their many responsibilities and serve their taxpayers.

I hope you will consider supporting this legislation by signing on as a co-sponsor. If you have any questions, please contact my Harrisburg office at (717) 783-1673 or email at lnissly@pahousegop.com.

Prior HB1476
Previous Co-sponsors:
CALTAGIRONE , O'NEILL , BLOOM, K. BOYLE, BARRAR , CARROLL , V. BROWN, KORTZ , HESS , D. COSTA, DENLINGER , COHEN , GINGRICH , MICOZZIE , EVERETT , GRELL , SWANGER , FARRY, ROCK , MILNE , GILLEN, CLYMER and HARHART

View Attachment



Introduced as HB425


Memo Updated: January 14, 2015 11:44 AM