This bill amends the Right-to-Know Law in Pennsylvania, enhancing the definitions and responsibilities related to public records. It expands the definition of "record" to include communications sent by a public official to less than a quorum of the governing body of an agency. Additionally, it mandates that agencies register their open-records officers with the Office of Open Records within 30 days of designation and requires these officers to complete a training course within the same timeframe. Agencies must also ensure that their open-records officers attend annual training thereafter.

Furthermore, the bill establishes new requirements for the retention of records, stipulating that agencies must retain records for at least two years from their creation or receipt, with specific exceptions for non-records. It introduces a civil penalty for failure to retain records, allowing courts to impose fines of up to $1,500 on agencies or their officials for willful violations of record retention policies. The bill emphasizes accountability by prohibiting agencies from covering fines incurred by their members or employees due to violations of these provisions.

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 964 (Jun 18, 2025): P.L.6, No.3