Providing highlights and insights about the PA Right to Know Law and decisions of the Office of Open Records as well as court opinions
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
In a Final Determination entered on June 24, 2021, the OOR found that the Pennsylvania Department of Health (“DOH”) did not successfully prove that “records related to the investigation and tracking of personal protective equipment (“PPE”)” are confidential and protected from disclosure under the Disease…
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
In a Final Determination entered on June 4, 2021, the OOR found that a request for “the names, ranks, and badge numbers” of all SEPTA police officers who asked for time off on January 6, 2021, was protected from disclosure by the right to privacy…
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
In a Final Determination entered on May 14, 2021, the OOR dismissed a RTKL Request for certain voter registration information because that information is expressly made available through the Pennsylvania Voter Registration Act; thus, its disclosure may not be sought under the RTKL. Michael Sheliga…
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
In a Final Determination entered on April 15, 2021, the OOR found that a request for e-mails to and from a number of agency staff or officials involving a large number of different subject matter terms, to be insufficiently specific, and that the Pennsylvania Department…
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
On February 26, 2021, the OOR entered a Final Determination holding that responsive documents in the possession of a company hired by a Commonwealth agency to “perform a governmental function on behalf of the agency” are producible under Section 506 (d) of the RTKL. Tim…
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
On January 11, 2021, the OOR entered a Final Determination holding that a Request seeking data relating to protected COVID-19 records that had previously been made public by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (“DOH”) is not protected by the Disease Prevention and Control Law of…
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
On August 14, 2020, the OOR entered a Final Determination holding that some categories of information relating to personnel hired to work with infection prevention and control at a nursing home (“preventionists”) are producible under the RTKL, but that reports made by the preventionists to…
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
On July 28, 2020, the OOR entered a Final Determination holding that a Request defined solely by a collection of broad keywords and a specific time frame is sufficiently specific under the RTKL to be granted. Dennis Roddy v. Pennsylvania Office of the Governor, OOR …
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
A few months ago, the OOR’s Final Determination In re Scott and Janet Brunermer v. Apollo Borough, Docket No. AP 2019-0589 (June 30, 2020) held that, if requested, metadata relating to requested e-mails must be provided to a party requesting that data, even if…
This synopsis was prepared by Pennsylvania attorney Catherine Olanich Raymond.
Within six weeks of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision in Easton Area School District v. Miller, 13 MAP 2019, 2020 Pa. LEXIS 3378 (“Easton”), the OOR was required to apply the Easton holding to a school bus video request. That holding is the…