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Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania House Bill 974 makes public records request identification mandatory and expands agency review factors
Last action · March 19, 2025: Referred to INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND OPERATIONS, March 19, 2025Sponsors: Tim Brennan and 15 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Pennsylvania House Bill 974 updates the state's Right-to-Know Law by changing a public records request recommendation into a mandatory requirement to identify or describe requested records with sufficient specificity. The measure also allows s to consider agency burden, third-party privacy, and legal penalties when evaluating request specificity.
People requesting public documents in Pennsylvania will face stricter specificity standards, while local and state agencies gain explicit legal factors to evaluate and potentially restrict broad or burdensome information requests.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Commonwealth, local, judicial, and legislative agencies
Agency open-records officers are explicitly authorized to factor agency workload, legal penalties, and third-party privacy into record request evaluations.
Public records requesters
Requesters must ensure their written inquiries meet a mandatory specificity standard rather than a discretionary recommendation.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a requester still need to explain why they want public records?
What factors can an open-records officer evaluate when deciding if a request is specific enough?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Mar 19, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND OPERATIONS, March 19, 2025
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 11 more sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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