An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in falsification and intimidation, further providing for the offense of tampering with public records or information.
SB 686 amends Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law to make it a felony to intentionally alter, destroy, conceal, or remove public records after someone has requested them under the law. It directly affects government employees who handle public records, targeting actions like hiding documents during active requests or with fraudulent intent. Previously, such tampering was a misdemeanor, but this bill upgrades penalties to a third-degree felony when records are involved in an ongoing request or appeal. The law aims to ensure the accuracy and accessibility of public records during official inquiries.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
Dec 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Apr 28, 2025
Last action Dec 15, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Printer's No. PN0675
→
Printer's No. PN0755
·
3 edits
MINOR
This bill revision reclassifies the offense of tampering with public records from a felony to a misdemeanor in most cases, while maintaining felony status only when records are subject to a current right-to-know request or when the actor intends to defraud or injure someone. The change reduces the severity of penalties for most violations while preserving harsher consequences for intentional harm or obstruction of public records access.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on tampering with public records, but the severity of penalties was reduced for most cases while maintaining felony charges for specific serious circumstances.
ENFORCEMENT
Changed the grading of tampering with public records from a felony of the third degree to a misdemeanor of the second degree, except when records are subject to a current right-to-know request or when the actor intends to defraud or injure someone, which remain felonies.
REQUIREMENT
Added specific conditions under which tampering remains a felony: when records are subject to a current request or appeal under the Right-to-Know Law, or when the actor's intent is to defraud or injure anyone.
TECHNICAL
Updated printer's numbers from PN 0675 to PN 0755 and added Senate amendment date of May 6, 2025.
Floor votes · Senate Jun 4, 2025
How they voted
31–18
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 50
Jun 4, 2025
D
Democratic23
78% Nay
R
Republican27
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
8
Key actions
3
Committee
4
Amendments
1
Dec 15, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Commerce
lower
Dec 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported with request to re-refer to Commerce
lower
Jun 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs & Operations
lower
Jun 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
upper
May 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported as amended
upper
Apr 28, 2025
Committee
Referred to State Government
upper
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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