Subchapter B. OPEN RECORDS PROCEDURES OF THE COMMISSION
Sec.
303.11. Records of the Commission.
303.12. Hours of access.
303.13. Request format.
303.14. Contact information.
303.15. Referral.
303.16. Response to requests.
303.17. Mass requests.
303.18. Fee schedule.§ 303.11. Records of the Commission.
(a) Legislative records. Subject to § 303.17 (relating to mass requests), the Commission will provide a requester access to any of the following legislative records generated by the Commission and not otherwise exempt under the law:
(1) A financial record.
(2) The minutes of, record of attendance of members at a public hearing or Commission meetings and all recorded votes taken, if any, at a Commission hearing or meeting.
(3) The transcript of a public hearing when available.
(4) Any administrative staff manuals or written policies.
(5) Final or annual reports required by law to be submitted to the General Assembly.
(6) The results of public opinion surveys, polls, focus groups, marketing research or similar efforts designed to measure public opinion funded by the Commission.
(b) Contracts. Contracts of the Commission will be available for review electronically from the State Treasurer or for duplication from the Commission.
(c) Other records. The Executive Director of the Commission, in his sole discretion, may authorize the open-records officer to provide access to other records of the Commission in accordance with section 506(c) of the law (65 P. S. § 67.506(c)). The Executive Director of the Commission may not authorize access to research work product or correspondence produced at the request of a member of the General Assembly without obtaining prior authorization from the member.
Cross References This section cited in 101 Pa. Code § 303.16 (relating to response to requests).
§ 303.12. Hours of access.
The Right-To-Know Office of the Commission will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except for official State and Federal holidays and other days the Commission is closed by direction of the Commission Chairperson. The Right-To-Know Office will not be open during other hours that the Commission is open for legislative session business, including evenings (after 5 p.m.), Saturdays and Sundays.
§ 303.13. Request format.
The Right-to-Know Office of the Commission will respond to verbal, written or anonymous verbal or written requests for access to records in accordance with the law. If the requester wishes to pursue the relief and remedies provided in the law and Subchapter C (relating to appellate procedure), the request for access to records must be a written request. Written requests must be clearly marked as a right-to-know request and must be submitted in person or by mail, email or facsimile in one of the following manners:
(1) On the form prescribed by the Commission and available for downloading at the Commission web site, www.lgc.state.pa.us.
(2) In a manner so that material requested describes records requested with specificity.
§ 303.14. Contact information.
Right-to-Know requests must be made as follows:
(1) Written requests made by mail:
Open-Records Officer Local Government Commission Senate Box 203078 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120-3078
(2) Written requests made by facsimile:
Fax: (717) 772-4524
(3) Written requests made by e-mail:
LGCopenrecords@palegislature.us
(4) Other requests: In person at the Commission offices, Forum Place Building, the corner of 5th and Walnut Streets, 555 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, or by telephone at (717) 787-7680. Verbal requests must be made to the Commission open-records officer or a designee.
Source The provisions of this § 303.14 amended April 24, 2015, effective April 25, 2015, 45 Pa.B. 2051. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (345084).
§ 303.15. Referral.
The Commission will accept written requests made for Commission records initially sent to the Legislative Reference Bureau upon forwarding of the request to the Commission by the Bureau.
§ 303.16. Response to requests.
(a) Response to verbal requests. Upon receipt of a verbal request, the open-records officer will determine whether the record is subject to access in accordance with § 303.11 (relating to records of the Commission). If the record is subject to access and none of the factors listed in section 902(a) of the law (65 P. S. § 67.902(a)), regarding determination of extension of time, apply, the open-records officer will provide access to the record as follows:
(1) If the record is in paper form, the open-records officer will make the record available for inspection and duplication to the requestor at the Commission offices.
(2) If the record is accessible only in electronic form, the open-records officer will make the record available through any publicly accessible electronic means or convert the record to paper for review at the Commission offices. Under no condition may the requester review records in electronic form on computers of the Commission.
(3) Duplication of Commission records subject to access and maintained in either paper or electronic form will be provided upon request in accordance with § 303.18 (relating to fee schedule).
(4) If the record requested is not subject to access under § 303.11, the open-records officer will so inform the requester. If the record requested is subject to access and if one or more of the factors listed in section 902(a) of the law, regarding determination of extension of time, apply to the record, the open-records officer will so inform the requester, and, if necessary, obtain contact information from the requester for a response from the Commission.
(5) Nothing in this chapter may be construed as authorizing access to any computer, file, office or work station of the Commission or any of its employees.
(b) Response to written requests. Subject to § 303.17 (relating to mass requests), the open-records officer will respond to written requests for records in accordance with Chapter 9 of the law (65 P. S. § § 901—905) regarding agency response.
§ 303.17. Mass requests.
If the open-records officer determines that a mass request places an unreasonable burden on the Commission, in an analogous manner to that described in section 506(a)(1) of the law (65 P. S. § 67.506(a)(1)) for multiple requests by the same requester, the following apply:
(1) The open-records officer will respond to the common source identified by the open-records officer; respond to individual requests submitted in writing; and, if the request is granted, will make the legislative record accessible at the Commission.
(2) If the mass request is in electronic format, each requester will be informed of the action under paragraph (1).
Cross References This section cited in 101 Pa. Code § 303.11 (relating to records of the commission); and 101 Pa. Code § 303.16 (relating to response to requests).
§ 303.18. Fee schedule.
(a) General rule. Except as set forth in subsection (b), the following apply:
(1) The fee for providing a document is 25¢ per page.
(2) The fee for postage will not exceed actual mailing costs.
(3) The fee for certifying a document is $5 per document, regardless of the number of pages. Each document requires separate certification and fee.
(4) The fee for redaction of a document is $1 per page.
(5) The fee for electronic media such as a diskette or compact disc shall be $1 per diskette or disc.
(b) Exception. The Executive Director of the Commission reserves the right to waive a duplication fee if the total amount due under this section does not exceed $5.
(c) Payment.
(1) In accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3), payment arrangements shall be made between the requester and the open-records officer.
(2) If the actual fee is expected to exceed $100, payment of an estimated fee under section 1307(h) of the law (65 P. S. § 67.1307(h)) shall be made prior to the initiation of providing of the document. If payment under this paragraph is required, a check, certified check or money order must be made payable to ‘‘Local Government Commission’’ in the amount of the estimated fee.
(3) Payment of the actual fee shall be made prior to providing the document. In the event that the amount of the prepayment of an estimated fee required under paragraph (2) exceeds the amount of actual fees required to provide the document, the Commission will refund the difference between estimated fees paid and actual fees, along with an accounting of actual fees incurred, within 45 days of providing the document.
(4) If a check provided for the payment of estimated or actual fees fails to clear due to insufficient funds, additional fees incurred by the Commission will be added to the total amount due under this section.
Source The provisions of this § 303.18 amended February 8, 2013, effective February 9, 2013, 43 Pa.B. 878. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (345086).
Cross References This section cited in 101 Pa. Code § 303.16 (relating to response to requests).
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