HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) is under pressure to comply with the state’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), following a definitive ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. State Treasurer Stacy Garrity has called on the PIAA to promptly post its contracts to the Treasury’s Contracts e-Library, marking a significant step towards increased transparency.
“For the past 15 years, the PIAA has violated the Right-to-Know Law by not posting a single contract to the Contracts e-Library. That changes now,” stated Treasurer Garrity. In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, Garrity sent a letter to the PIAA, outlining her readiness to assist the agency in promptly uploading its contracts online. The proposed timeline suggests all contracts should be posted no later than March 29.
The RTKL, enacted in 2008, was designed to promote transparency and accountability within government agencies. The law requires state-affiliated entities to make their records public, with some exemptions. Over 500,000 contracts, purchase orders, and amendments have been uploaded to the Contracts e-Library since its inception, from more than 100 state agencies.
The Supreme Court’s decision, penned by Justice Sallie Updyke Mundy, affirmed the PIAA’s role as a “state-affiliated entity” and emphasized its vital position in managing an essential aspect of middle- and high-school students’ education in Pennsylvania.
In a concurring opinion, Justice David N. Wecht drew attention to the extensive influence the PIAA has on student athletes’ lives, describing it as the “functional equivalent of a government regulatory agency performing the public function of controlling or affecting nearly every aspect of athletics in public schools.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling follows similar decisions by the Office of Open Records and the Commonwealth Court, both of which also found that the PIAA is subject to the RTKL.
This move towards increased transparency is significant. It allows parents, student athletes, and the general public to access crucial information about the workings of an organization that plays a pivotal role in Pennsylvania’s school athletics. The posting of contracts could shed light on how the PIAA conducts its business, potentially leading to more informed discussions about its operations and policies. As Garrity stated, “Our student athletes and their parents deserve transparency from the agency that regulates middle school and high school athletics across our state.”
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