A.  Interim Responses.

The Agency must provide a final response to a RTKL request within 5 business days unless one or more specific conditions are satisfied and the AORO gives the requester written notice that additional time will be required.  That notice is referred to as an "interim response."

• The RTKL request requires redaction of a public record;
• The RTKL request requires retrieval of a record from a remote location;
• A response within the 5 business day period cannot be accomplished due to bona fide staffing limitations, which limitations must be specified in the interim response;
• A legal review is necessary to determine whether the record requested is subject to access under the Act;
• The requester has not complied with the Agency’s policies regarding access to public records;
• The requester has not complied with a demand for prepayment of fees, which are required to fulfill the RTKL request and which are estimated to exceed $100; further, if prepayment of fees is required by the Agency, the time period for response shall be tolled from the time the demand for payment is made until such time as payment is actually received; or
• The extent or nature of the request precludes a response within the required time period.

An interim response must: 1) be sent to the requester on or before the last day of the 5 business day period; 2) state that the request is being reviewed and the reason for the review; 3) give an estimate of applicable fees owed when the record becomes available; and 4) state a reasonable date that a response is expected to be provided.  This date must not be more than 30 calendar days from the end of the 5 business day period.

If the date of an expected response is in excess of 30 days following the five days allowed for in Section 901, the request will be deemed denied unless the requester has agreed in writing to the date specified in the notice.

The Agency will send an interim response when the estimated fee for responding to the request is in excess of $100. Once the estimated payment is received, the agency will proceed to: 1) make a final determination as to what records, if any, are public records under the RTKL, 2) begin search and retrieval of those records, 3) perform any required redaction and 4) advise the requester, within 30 days, as to a date by when any responsive public records will be produced.  Failure to make an estimated payment by the date required by the agency in its interim response will result in the request being deemed withdrawn.

B.  Final Responses.

There are three possible final responses. Either the request is: 1) granted; 2) denied; or 3) granted in part and denied in part. The failure to make a timely response is deemed to be a denial.

If a written request is denied in whole or in part, the Agency will issue a final written response that will include an explanation of the procedure for the requester to appeal, if the requester chooses to do so. The written denial will also set forth the specific reasons for the denial, including a citation of supporting legal authority.  If the denial is the result of a determination that that the record requested is exempt from disclosure, the specific reasons for the Agency’s determination shall be included.

Non-production of records due to the fact that a good faith search by the Agency does not produce any responsive records is not a denial of access.

C.  Redaction

The Agency will not deny access to a public record based upon the fact that portions of the record are not public records and, as a result, not subject to disclosure.  The Agency will redact the portions of a public record that are not public records and produce the portions that are public records.

D.  Access

The Agency may provide a requester with access to inspect a record electronically or as otherwise maintained by the Agency, either: 1) by providing access in the offices of the Agency, if agreed to by the requester, 2) by sending a copy to the requester or 3) by notifying the requester that the record is available through publicly accessible electronic means and, if the requester writes to the agency within 30 days that the requester is unable or unwilling to access the information electronically, by then providing the records in paper format, upon payment for the same.   

The Agency has the discretion to determine the building(s) and room(s) that will be used to provide a requester with access to the Agency’s public records. The selection of buildings and rooms for access to the Agency’s public records is a matter within the discretion of the AORO.

The Agency will provide a public record to a requester in the medium requested if the record exists in that medium.  Otherwise, the public record must be provided in the medium in which it exists.  If a public record only exists in one medium, the agency is not required to convert that public record to another medium, except that if the public record is only available in an electronic form, the agency must print it out on paper if the requester so requests.

The Agency is not required to create a public record that does not already exist, nor is it required to compile, maintain, format, or organize a public record in a manner in which the Agency does not currently do so.

E.  Duplication of Public Records.

The Agency may either make copies itself or, in its discretion, allow the requester to bring the necessary equipment to make its own copies.  The Agency may make its duplication equipment available to a requester but require that the requester operate the equipment; assign Agency staff to make the duplications; or contract for duplication services and require the requester to pay the applicable rate. 

The Commonwealth Office of Open Records
Commonwealth Keystone Building
400 North Street, Plaza Level
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225
Phone: 717-346-9903
Email: openrecords@pa.gov

A.  Fees Determined by the Office of Open Records

Under the RTKL, the Office of Open Records has the authority to establish two fees for Commonwealth agencies: Duplication, 65 P.S. §67.1307(b) and Enhanced Electronic Access (an agency may establish user fees, subject to approval by the Office of Open Records), 65 P.S. 65 P.S. §67.1307 (e).

The fees for duplication are established by the Office of Open Records. Unless otherwise directed by statute, the Agency will charge $.25 per page for duplication, although on-site publication may be at a reduced rate of $.15, at the discretion of the Agency.

Pursuant to this agency policy, an agency may waive duplication fees for 20 pages or less. Duplication charges are to be paid for any duplication in excess of 20 pages.

B.  Specialized Fees

The Agency will charge $1 per copy for certified copies, when requested by the requester.

The Agency will charge the actual cost for postage, facsimile/microfiche or other media, as well as for specialized documents, except that postage fees will be waived for postage that costs under $1.00.

Special rules apply to fees for transcripts of administrative proceedings:

C.  Reasonable and Necessarily Incurred Costs

As expressly provided by 65 P.S. §67.1307(g), the Agency has the authority to charge requesters reasonable fees for necessarily incurred costs. The Agency will determine and charge such fees on a case by case basis.

D.  General

No charge shall be made for agency or legal review of the record to see whether the requested records are public records that are subject to production.

If the estimated fees that are required to fulfill the RTKL request exceed $100, the requester must pay the estimated amount in advance, either by certified check or by ordinary check, which must first have cleared to be considered received by the Agency.  The demand for prepayment will specify a reasonable period of time in which the requester must make such prepayment.  Failure to make to estimated payment by the date required by the Agency in its interim response will result in the request being deemed withdrawn.

All applicable fees must be paid in order to receive access to the record requested. 65 P.S. §67.901. Any requester who has unpaid amounts outstanding to the Agency or to any agency under the Governor’s jurisdiction, in relation to RTKL requests where production was made by any such agency, will not be granted access to records under other RTKL requests until such prior amounts due have been paid in full.

When an estimated fee was not  required to be paid because the estimate was $100 or less, but actual fees are over $100 or where the fee was under $100, an agency has the discretion to produce the records and invoice for the amount due or to require payment prior to production.

A.  National Guard Records and Federal Records

Records management for the Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard involves both federal and state records.  Many operational, personnel, procurement and other records pertaining to the National Guard are federal, and not state, records.  Some records may be both federal and state in nature. Requesters whose requests encompass federal records under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania National Guard will be referred to the appropriate federal records officer at the following address:

Additional information about the Freedom of Information Act program applicable to federal records may be obtained from Army Regulation (AR) 25-55.  Fees for release of federal records are established by applicable military directives.

B.  Medical Records.

DMVA operates six state veterans’ homes and performs other functions such that DMVA maintains medical and health care records containing protected health information.  Such records are exempt from access by a requester under the RTKL, but they may be subject to disclosure in limited circumstances under other laws and procedures.  The fees for release of health care and medical records by health care providers, including those under the jurisdiction of DMVA, are established by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  The RTKL fees do not apply to these records. Under 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 6152 and 6155 (relating to subpoena of records; and rights of patients), the Secretary of Health (Secretary) is directed to adjust annually the amounts which may be charged by a health care facility or health care provider upon receipt of a request or subpoena for production of medical charts or records.

C.  Education Records. 

Prior to its closure, DMVA operated Scotland School for Veterans’ Children.  DMVA continues to maintains some school records.  Academic transcripts are exempt from access by a requester under the RTKL, but they and other student records may be subject to disclosure in limited circumstances under other laws and procedures, including regulations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99).  Fees for academic transcripts and other school records are established by the Agency in accordance with 34 CFR 99.11.