PRINTER'S NO. 3591
No. 2665 Session of 1978
INTRODUCED BY KERNICK, SEPTEMBER 11, 1978
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, SEPTEMBER 11, 1978
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 21, 1957 (P.L.390, No.212), entitled
2 "An act requiring certain records of the Commonwealth and its
3 political subdivisions and of certain authorities and other
4 agencies performing essential governmental functions, to be
5 open for examination and inspection by citizens of the
6 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; authorizing such citizens under
7 certain conditions to make extracts, copies, photographs or
8 photostats of such records; and providing for appeals to the
9 courts of common pleas," further providing for the definition
10 of "public record."
11 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12 hereby enacts as follows:
13 Section 1. Clause (2) of section 1, act of June 21, 1957
14 (P.L.390, No.212), referred to as the Right-to-Know Law, amended
15 June 17, 1971 (P.L.160, No.9), is amended to read:
16 Section 1. In this act the following terms shall have the
17 following meanings:
18 * * *
19 (2) "Public Record." Any account, voucher or contract
20 dealing with the receipt or disbursement of funds by an agency
21 or its acquisition, use or disposal of services or of supplies,
22 materials, equipment or other property [and] any minute, order
1 or decision by an agency fixing the personal or property rights,
2 privileges, immunities, duties or obligations of any person or
3 group of persons and data, cards and records relating to real
4 property assessments: Provided, That the term "public records"
5 shall not mean any report, communication or other paper, the
6 publication of which would disclose the institution, progress or
7 result of an investigation undertaken by an agency in the
8 performance of its official duties, except those reports filed
9 by agencies pertaining to safety and health in industrial plants
10 and except any report, communication or other paper pertaining
11 to the assessment of real property; it shall not include any
12 record, document, material, exhibit, pleading, report,
13 memorandum or other paper, access to or the publication of which
14 is prohibited, restricted or forbidden by statute law or order
15 or decree of court, or which would operate to the prejudice or
16 impairment of a person's reputation or personal security, or
17 which would result in the loss by the Commonwealth or any of its
18 political subdivisions or commissions or State or municipal
19 authorities of Federal funds, excepting therefrom however the
20 record of any conviction for any criminal act.
21 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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