Source: https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/right-to-know/Pages/default.aspx
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 03:55:08+00:00

Document:
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (“PDA”) offers this document as its statement of the policies, procedures and processes by which PDA will accept, handle and respond to requests made pursuant to the Right-to-Know Law (“RTKL”), 65 P.S. §67.101 et seq. This Document is effective June 19, 2015, and supplants an earlier Right-to-Know Law Policy that took effect January 18, 2014.
In order to facilitate access to documents of public interest and reduce the need for RTKL requests, PDA routinely makes many documents readily accessible by the public at the PDA website: www.agriculture.state.pa.us. With respect to information relating to solicitations, awards and contracts, the Department of General Services makes this information available through its website: www.emarketplace.state.pa.us. The Department of the Treasury maintains a large library of contracts – including many PDA contracts – at its State Contracts E-Library website: http://contracts.patreasury.org/search.aspx.
Be submitted in person, by U.S. Mail (to the address above), by e-mail (to RA-AG-RTK@pa.gov) or by facsimile (to 717 / 346-3301); Note: A faxed RTKL request should be sent to the fax number provided immediately above. A faxed request that is sent to that fax number outside of PDA’s normal business hours (8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and office closures) will not be accepted by PDA until normal business hours resume.
While verbal requests may be fulfilled by PDA, the requester cannot pursue the relief and remedies provided under the RTKL (including the right to file an appeal) unless the request is in writing.
Note: This form can be completed on-line and electronically transmitted directly to the PDA Agency Open Records Officer.
The downloadable, printable PDA Right-to-Know Request Form available through the PDA website, at www.agriculture.pa.gov.
The downloadable printable form available through the website of the Office of Open Records, at: http://openrecords.state.pa.us.
RTKL Requests are Public Record.
RTKL requests received by PDA will be considered “public record” information by PDA. PDA may make these requests available for public access through its website.
The regular business hours of the RTKL Office are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and office closures. Any RTKL request received after the close of regular business hours shall be denoted as being received by that office on the following business day.
(b) providing that record if such a written request is made and any applicable payment is made.
Each of these three actions is a "response" for purposes of the RTKL, as is PDA’s written notice to the requester: (a) granting access to a record; (b) denying access to a record; (c) partially granting and partially denying access to a record; or (d) confirming that the record sought is not in the possession, custody or control of PDA. Unless specified in the request, PDA may send written responses to requesters by United States mail, by hand (in person or by delivery service), by facsimile or, by e-mail.
Unless a longer period of time is needed and communicated to the requester by an “interim response” (as discussed in paragraph A below), the RTKL requires that PDA respond to an RTKL request within five business days. For purposes of determining the end of the five-business-day period, the day that a RTKL request is received is not counted. The first day of the five-business-day period is PDA’s next business day.
Example 1: A written RTKL request is received by PDA’s Agency Open Records Officer during normal business hours on a Monday. That date – Monday – is the date the request was received, and PDA must send its response within five business days of that date. Assuming there are no holidays or office closures within the next five business days, PDA’s response must be sent no later than the following Monday.
Example 2: Same facts as Example 1, except that the written RTKL request is e-mailed, faxed or delivered to PDA’s Agency Open Records Officer’s office after normal business hours on a Monday. For purposes of calculating the response interval, the request is not “received” until: (a) business hours resume (on Tuesday); and (b) PDA’s Agency Open Records Officer receives it. Assuming these occur on Tuesday, PDA’s response must be sent no later than the following Tuesday.
Example 3. Same facts as Example 1, but the date on which PDA’s response would ordinarily be due is a weekend day, a holiday or a day when PDA’s business offices are closed. PDA’s response must be sent on the next day that PDA’s business offices are open.
PDA must provide a final response to a RTKL request within five 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 five-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 PDA’s policies regarding access to public records.
The actual or estimated fees to fulfill the RTKL request are $100 or more and the requester has not complied with a demand for prepayment of these fees.
Note: Prepayment of fees (or prepayment of estimated fees, where the actual fees have yet to be determined) totaling $100 or more is required by PDA. 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.
state a reasonable date – not more than 30 calendar days from the end of the five-business-day period – that a response is expected to be provided.
Note: If the date of an expected response is in excess of 30 days following the five business days allowed for under the RTKL, the request will be deemed denied unless the requester has agreed in writing to the date specified in the notice provided by PDA.
advise the requester, within 30 days, as to the date by which any responsive public records will be produced.
Failure to make the estimated payment by the date required by PDA in an interim response will result in the request being deemed withdrawn.
the requested records are not in PDA’s possession, under its custody or under its control.
If a written request is denied in whole or in part, or if the records sought are not in the possession, custody or control of PDA, PDA will issue a final written response that will include an explanation of the procedure by which the requester may 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 PDA’s determination shall be included.
If PDA conducts a good faith search for responsive records and is not able to locate any such records in its possession, under its custody or in its control, the non-production of records is not a denial of access. PDA cannot “deny” access to records that are not in existence or are not in PDA’s possession, under PDA’s custody or in PDA’s control.
PDA will not deny access to a public record based solely upon the fact that portions of the record are not public records and, as a result, not subject to disclosure. PDA will redact the portions of a public record that are not public records and produce the portions that are public records.
PDA has the discretion to determine the building(s) and room(s) that will be used to provide a requester with access to PDA’s public records. The selection of buildings and rooms for access to PDA’s public records is a matter within the discretion of the AORO.
PDA will provide a public record to a requester in the medium requested if the record exists in that medium. Otherwise, the public record will be provided in the medium in which it exists. If a public record only exists in one medium, PDA is not required to convert that public record to another medium, except that if the public record is only available in an electronic form, PDA must print it out on paper if the requester so requests.
PDA 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 PDA does not currently do so.
PDA may either make copies itself or, in its discretion, allow the requester to bring the necessary equipment to make its own copies. PDA may make its duplication equipment available to a requester but require that the requester operate the equipment; assign PDA staff to make the duplications; or contract for duplication services and require the requester to pay the applicable rate.
A person other than PDA or the requester, with a direct interest in the record that is subject to an appeal, has 15 days following actual knowledge of the appeal, but no later than the date the Appeals Officer issues an order, to file a written request to provide information or to appear before the Appeals Officer in support of the requester’s or PDA’s position in the appeal. The Appeals Officer may, but needs not, grant the request.
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. §67.1307(e).
The fees for duplication are established by the Office of Open Records, as posted on its website at http://openrecords.state.pa.us. Unless otherwise directed by statute, PDA will charge $.25 per page for duplication, but will only charge this fee when the total number of pages exceeds twenty (20). When this occurs, the requester will be charged for the first 20 pages, plus every page beyond that initial 20 pages.
PDA will charge $1 per copy for certified copies, when requested by the requester.
When a fee for duplication is also being charged, PDA will charge the actual cost for postage, facsimile/microfiche or other media, as well as for specialized documents. PDA will not charge postage fees where for postage costs of less than $1.00.
Prior to an adjudication becoming “final, binding and non-appealable,” transcripts may be requested through PDA, however the stenographer or court reporter is permitted to charge the regular fee for this service.
Following an adjudication becoming “final, binding and non-appealable,” a request for the transcript shall be treated like any other request for a record and the usual duplication fee of up to $.25 per page will be charged.
PDA will charge such other fees as were established prior to the adoption of the RTKL for complex and extensive data sets, including geographic information systems. These fees need not correspond to the total number of copies produced.
Reasonable and Necessarily Incurred Costs.
As expressly provided by 65 P.S. § 67.1307(g), PDA has the authority to charge requesters reasonable fees for necessarily incurred costs. PDA will determine and charge such fees on a case by case basis.
A fee will be assessed for all requests that require greater than 20 copies in accordance with the provisions above. Fees for complex and extensive data sets will only be waived in accordance with the provision of the RTKL at 65 P.S. § 67.1307(b)(4)(ii).
PDA will review and determine the appropriateness of any fee waiver request on a case-by-case basis. If PDA provides a non-discriminatory reason for denying a fee waiver request, there is no right to appeal that determination.
The requester must pay in advance the actual fees owed, or PDA’s estimate of the fees where the actual fees are not known, where these known or estimated fees are $100 or more. Payment must be by certified check or by ordinary check, which must first have cleared to be considered received by PDA. The demand for prepayment may specify a reasonable period of time in which the requester must make such prepayment. Failure to make a payment (whether of actual or estimated fees) by the date required by PDA in its interim response will result in the request being deemed withdrawn.
Where an estimated fee is paid by a requester and the estimated fees are subsequently calculated to have been lower than the actual fees, PDA will provide the requester a statement showing how the actual fees were calculated, and the requester will promptly pay the difference to PDA.
Where an estimated fee is paid by a requester and the estimated fees are subsequently calculated to have been higher than the actual fees, PDA will provide the requester a statement showing how the actual fees were calculated, and will promptly pay the difference to the requester.
Where fees are known or estimated to be $100 or more, these fees must be paid in order to receive access to the record requested. (See the RTKL, at 65 P.S. § 67.901). PDA will notify the Office of General Council (OGC) of any requester who has unpaid fees. OGC will maintain a listing across administrative agencies of requesters with unpaid fees. Any requester who has unpaid amounts outstanding to PDA or to any agency under the Governor’s jurisdiction, in relation to RTKL requests where production was made by any such agency, may not be granted access to records under other RTKL requests until such prior amounts due have been paid in full.

References: §67
 § 67
 §67
 § 67
 § 67
 § 67