A bill that would allow incarcerated people to request public records only about themselves or their own cases is making its way through the Pennsylvania Legislature.
Supporters of the bill say it would help stem a tide of frivolous requests that can tie up state resources, while opponents say it’s unlikely to cure the problem and probably unconstitutional, to boot.
Incarcerated people are regarded as any other requester through current law, said Liz Wagenseller, executive director of the Office of Open Records. Rep. Louis C. Schmitt Jr., R-Blair, the bill’s primary sponsor, said the legislation is an effort to ease the burden for agencies that have to try to meet a flood of requests.
Under the bill, requesters couldn’t be found as “vexatious” by the amount of requests they’ve filed or the number of requests sought. The agency would have to prove that the requester’s actions seek to annoy or harass. Journalists would be exempt.
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