HARRISBURG – The Senate approved a bill today that will expand Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law to provide greater access to public records at state-related universities, Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) said.
“The value of Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law has proven itself time and again, but it’s not perfect by any means,” Mastriano said. “This bill crucially expands its scope to include pertinent public records at state-related universities, as 47 out of 50 other states already do.”
Senate Bill 488, sponsored by Mastriano, would create an online searchable database that details information about budgets and contracts approved by the Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh and Lincoln University. The legislation also increases the amount of university personnel salary information subject to public disclosure.
“State-related universities will receive more than $600 million from taxpayers this year and the way that money is spent shouldn’t be a closely-guarded secret,” Mastriano said. “This legislation offers a level of transparency necessary to keep these universities accountable to the public they serve.”
Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law, established in 2008, created an Office of Open Records to process requests for documents from public agencies, such as the governor’s administration, legislative and judicial agencies and local organizations.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
CONTACT: Doug Zubeck