You can reach Advance Central PA via the contact information below:

Advance Central PA
130 Kelly Square, Suite 1
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Phone: (570) 568-6868
Fax: (570) 568-6867
Email: hello@AdvanceCentralPA.org

worker at lumber facility talking on a cell phone

RIGHT TO KNOW

Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know (RTK) Law was introduced as Senate Bill 1 of the 2007-08 legislative session by Senator Dominic Pileggi. The final version of SB1 was approved by the Senate, 50-0, and the House of Representatives, 199-0. It was signed into law on February 14, 2008.

Under the Right-To-Know Law, all records are presumed to be public records unless disclosure is barred by: (1) state or federal law or regulation; (2) judicial order; (3) privilege, e.g., attorney-client or doctor-patient; or (4) one of the exceptions in Section 708 of the Right-to-Know Law.

Right To Know Policy

Records Covered by the Right-to-Know Law

Make sure when you file a RTK request, you are seeking records and not just asking questions. The law governs the release of records, not answering questions.

A record is defined as “any information regardless of its physical form or character that documents a transaction or activity of an agency AND is created, received, or retained pursuant to law OR in connection with a transaction, business or activity of an agency” (emphasis added).

Records can take many forms, including papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, film or sound recordings, information stored or maintained electronically, and data-processed or image-processed documents. Note that e-mails can also be a form of public records, subject to any exceptions.

Exceptions: Certain Information Protected from Disclosure

All agency records are subject to the Right-to-Know Law. However, not all records are public records. The law contains 30 exceptions, cited in Section 708, that permit an Agency to withhold records. An Agency may deny release of a record if it falls within one of the 30 exceptions designed to protect information that is confidential or may jeopardize safety or investigations. Types of records that can be withheld include records related to personal or public security, DNA/RNA records, autopsy records, Social Security numbers, personal financial information, personal email addresses, marital status, identity of a covert law enforcement officer, home address of judges or law enforcement, confidential source records, and victim information. Other laws also make certain records non-public.

How to File a Request

Requests can be made in four ways: fax, email, U.S. Mail, or in person. File your request with Advance Central PA’s Open Records Officer:

Brooke Gessner, Open Records Officer
130 Kelly Square, Suite 1
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Phone: (570) 568-6868
Fax: (570) 568-6867
Email: RightToKnow@AdvanceCentralPA.org

What to Expect from Advance Central PA – Advance Central PA has five business days to respond in writing to: (1) grant the request; (2) deny the request, citing the legal basis for the denial or partial denial; or (3) invoke a 30-calendar day extension for certain reasons. The clock starts the day after the RTK request is received during regular business hours. In other words, Advance Central PA has five business days to respond to a request, whether you place the request in person or by mail. Acceptable grounds for a 30-calendar day extension include: off-site location of records, staffing limitations, need for legal review or redaction, complex request, or the requester did not pay applicable fees as required or failed to follow agency policy. If Advance Central PA does not respond to a request in the allotted time, the request is deemed denied, and you have the right to file an appeal with the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation (CPWDC), dba Advance Central PA, as a recipient of federal financial assistance, must provide the following notice that it does not discriminate on any prohibited ground.

It is against the law for this recipient of federal financial assistance to discriminate on the following bases: against any individual in the United States, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sex stereotyping, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability, or political affiliation or belief, or, against any beneficiary of, applicant to, or participant in programs financially assisted under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, on the basis of the individual’s citizenship status or participation in any WIOA Title I–financially assisted program or activity. The recipient must not discriminate in any of the following areas: deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIOA Title I– financially assisted program or activity; providing opportunities in, or treating any person with regard to, such a program or activity; or making employment decisions in the administration of, or in connection with, such a program or activity. Recipients of federal financial assistance must take reasonable steps to ensure that communications with individuals with disabilities are as effective as communications with others. This means that, upon request and at no cost to the individual, recipients are required to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services to qualified individuals with disabilities.

Marca O’Hargan, Advance Central PA Equal Opportunity Officer
EqualOpportunity@AdvanceCentralPA.org

Auxiliary aids and service are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.

Advance Central PA Equal Opportunity and Discrimination Complaint Policy and Procedure

In compliance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services EARN Program contract and all other federal or state contracts passed through Advance Central PA, the Workforce Development Board for the Central Pennsylvania Local Workforce Development Area, has implemented this Equal Opportunity Discrimination Complaint Policy and Procedure.

What to Do If You Believe You Have Experienced Discrimination

If you think that you have been subjected to discrimination under a WIOA Title I–financially assisted program or activity, you may file a complaint within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation. Individuals, specific classes of individuals, or authorized representatives have a choice between initially bringing their complaints/allegations of discrimination about WIOA programs or services to the following:

  • The Central WDA Equal Opportunity Officer (Local EO Officer)
  • Office of Equal Opportunity in Harrisburg (OEO)
  • Civil Rights Center in Washington, D.C. (CRC)

Details regarding submittal of a complaint is provided in the Advance Central PA Discrimination Complaint Policy and Procedure.

If you wish to file a discrimination complaint, the Central WDA Equal Opportunity contact information is as follows:

Advance Central PA
Marca O’Hargan, Equal Opportunity Officer
130 Kelly Square, Suite 1
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Phone: (570) 568-6868
Fax: (570) 568-6867
Email: EqualOpportunity@AdvanceCentralPA.org

Babel Notice

In multiple languages, the Babel Notice explains how to access free language services if needed for the purposes of engaging with PA CareerLink® programs and services.

Auxiliary Aids and Language Services

This is a list of auxiliary aids (including assistive technology) available upon request by individuals with disabilities and the language services available to individuals with limited English proficiency intended to ensure all customers have equal access to PA CareerLink® programs and services