Bill > HB197

This bill amends the Right-to-Know Law to establish new requirements for Commonwealth agencies' telephone communication practices. Specifically, the bill mandates that during regular business hours, agencies must provide live telephone service where callers can speak directly with an employee who can answer questions, provide information, and offer assistance about the agency's services and duties. The bill prohibits agencies from using automated answering systems that prevent direct employee interaction, with one exception: call distribution systems that queue calls and route them to available employees are permitted. Additionally, automated systems that offer an option to speak with a live employee will be considered compliant with the new requirement. The bill replaces the generic term "requirement" with "public records requirement" in the existing law and adds a new subsection about telephone service expectations. The changes will take effect 60 days after the bill's enactment, aiming to improve accessibility and responsiveness of Commonwealth agencies to public inquiries.

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https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=197