Pennsylvania Change Requests 2.0

Good morning,

Attached is the PA Department of Human Services' interim response to your Right-To-Know Law request.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good morning,

Please see the attached interim response letter from the Department of Human Services (department). As stated in the letter, the department will require additional time beyond 30 days, or until April 4, 2024, within which to provide a final response to your request.

Please send an email to me at ra-dpwrtkl@pa.gov<mailto:ra-dpwrtkl@pa.gov> stating whether you agree to the additional extension of time for the department to respond to your request.

Thank you.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good morning,

The reasons for the additional extension are set forth in the attached letter. Also, your request includes emails and communications, of which there could be a significant number. Once responsive emails/documents are identified, they must then be reviewed to determine whether they are "public records" for purposes of the RTKL and whether redaction is needed to protect certain information that is not subject to access under the RTKL. Due to staffing limitations and the department's RTKL request workload, the department requires the additional time to complete the review.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good morning,

During the conference call that was held on Friday, February 23 to discuss Right-To-Know Law request number 24-RTKL-046 (copy attached), you had asked that our conversation be memorialized in writing and provided to you by today. Following are the key takeaways from the call:

* By end of day 2/23/24, the requester will select one change request regarding the CHIP IT transition for the department to provide a sampling of the records that were requested (i.e. copies of all materials, documents and communications related to the change request; materials may include but are not limited to: emails, cost estimates, invoices and any documents used to evaluate, assess and determine the impact of the change request; copies of any documents and materials showing whether the change requests were accepted, rejected or deferred) and to which access is granted.
* By end of day 3/1/24*, the department will provide the sampling of records to which access is granted for the change request regarding CHIP IT transition selected by the requester on 2/23/24.
* By end of day 3/18/24*, the department will provide the requested records (i.e. copies of all materials, documents and communications related to the change request; materials may include but are not limited to: emails, cost estimates, invoices and any documents used to evaluate, assess and determine the impact of the change request; copies of any documents and materials showing whether the change requests were accepted, rejected or deferred) to which access is granted for the following change requests regarding the CHIP IT transition:

* 2952981: CHIP 39-day denial/termination removal
* 2691753: CHIP IT Transition MCO Transfer
* 2691771: CHIP IT Centre county coverage
* 2712791: CHIP IT - "Consent to move to MA" field must default to Yes
* 2728307: Transform CDE-MCO-TYPE values to 'K' for CHIP recipients on pro18wcare.dat file and P54/P58/P60 real-time responses
* 2760215: CHIP application start date
* 2773389: CHIP budgets need to align eligibility and enrollment date

* After the requested records to which access is granted for the change requests regarding the CHIP IT transition have been provided to the requester, the department will search for, gather, and review responsive records for the remaining change requests listed in the RTKL request. If upon review of the initial batch of records the requester wishes to narrow the request, the department asks that the requester inform us so that we can respond accordingly.
* The department will provide to the requester an explanation of why information housed in the "Team Foundation Server" (TFS), which is the system that tracks change requests, cannot be exported/extracted.

*These dates are contingent upon the number of responsive records and staff availability to search for, gather, and review responsive records. Additional time may be necessary.

Attached is a revised interim response letter requesting additional time beyond 30 days, or until April 4, 2024, within which to provide a final response to your request. To allow time to complete the tasks that were agreed upon during our conference call, please reply to this email stating that you agree to the additional extension of time for the department to respond to your request.

Thank you.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good morning,

You selected "2888368 Always Align CHIP eligibility and enrollment dates systematically" as the change request for which you would like a sample of records. However, this change request was not one of those that the department identified as dealing with the CHIP IT transition. Those change requests are as follows:

* 2952981 CHIP 39-day denial/termination removal

* 2691753 CHIP IT Transition MCO Transfer

* 2691771 CHIP IT Centre county coverage

* 2712791 CHIP IT - "Consent to move to MA" field must default to Yes

* 2728307 Transform CDE-MCO-TYPE values to 'K' for CHIP recipients on pro18wcare.dat file and P54/P58/P60 real-time responses

* 2760215 CHIP application start date

* 2773389 CHIP budgets need to align eligibility and enrollment date

Since the department is already working on searching for and gathering the records for the change requests dealing with the CHIP IT transition, can you please select one of these for the sample of records?

Thank you.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good morning,

Thank you.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good afternoon,

I am following up on the below email. Attached is a revised interim response letter requesting additional time beyond 30 days, or until April 4, 2024, within which to provide a final response to your request. To allow time to complete the tasks that were agreed upon during our conference call, please reply to this email stating that you agree to the additional extension of time for the department to respond to your request.

Thank you.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good morning,

I am following up on the below emails. Attached is a revised interim response letter requesting additional time beyond 30 days, or until April 4, 2024, within which to provide a final response to your request. To allow time to complete the tasks that were agreed upon during our conference call, please reply to this email stating that you agree to the additional extension of time for the department to respond to your request.

Thank you.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good morning,

Attached is a zipped folder that contains the sampling of records to which access is granted regarding change request 2773389. Change request 2773389 was done under maintenance so there is not a Level of Effort or invoice for it.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Welfare Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good afternoon,

Please see the attached interim response letter from the Department of Human Services (department). As stated in the letter, the department will require additional time beyond 30 days, or until May 3, 2024, within which to provide a final response to your request.

Please send an email to me at ra-dpwrtkl@pa.gov<mailto:ra-dpwrtkl@pa.gov> stating whether you agree to the additional extension of time for the department to respond to your request.

Thank you.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Human Services Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good evening,

Attached is the PA Department of Human Services' final response to your Right-To-Know Law request.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Human Services Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good afternoon,

The department's final response was sent to you via email on April 4, 2024. Please see attached.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Human Services Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good afternoon,
The department's final response was sent to you via email on April 4, 2024. Please see attached. The duplication fee section, set forth on pages 3 and 4 of the final response letter, states the following:

Copies of the records to which access is granted will be saved to a CD, which will be delivered to you after the department receives payment for duplication. Pursuant to the fee provisions established by the Office of Open Records (OOR), and in accordance with the department's policy, the fee for providing the requested information is $1.00. This fee is based upon charges for scanning data onto a CD and the cost of the CD.

Please remit payment in the above-mentioned amount to the following address, with a check made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Andrea Bankes

Department of Human Services

Agency Open Records Office

Rm. 234 Health and Welfare Building

P.O. Box 2675

Harrisburg, PA 17105

If we do not receive full payment of the actual fee due within 15 business days from the date of this letter, your request will be denied, as of such date, for lack of payment pursuant to 65 P.S. § 67.901. Please note that if payment is not received and you request the same records again, the request may be considered as disruptive under 65 P.S. § 67.506(a)(1).

Failure to pay for records provided in response to a RTKL request to any executive agency will preclude you from obtaining further records from this or any other executive agency, pursuant to the provisions of Section 901 of the RTKL and Section IV (D) of our department's RTKL Policy, as published on our website at https://www.dhs.pa.gov/contact/DHS-Offices/Pages/Right-To-Know.aspx.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Human Services Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good afternoon,

No, I can only accept payment via check or money order.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Human Services Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good afternoon,

The department received your fee payment for the CD to provide you with copies of records to which access is granted in response to your request. The department had previously communicated to you that a search of the department's files revealed a significant number of records that may be responsive to your request, and that the department would need time to review the records to determine whether they are responsive to your request, whether they are "public records" for purposes of the RTKL, and whether redaction is needed to protect certain information that is not subject to access under the RTKL.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Human Services Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good morning,

The department received your fee payment for the CD to provide you with copies of records to which access is granted in response to your request. The department had previously communicated to you that a search of the department's files revealed a significant number of records that may be responsive to your request, and that the department would need time to review the records to determine whether they are responsive to your request, whether they are "public records" for purposes of the RTKL, and whether redaction is needed to protect certain information that is not subject to access under the RTKL. Although the department continues to work diligently to complete the review of the records, due to the sheer volume of records encompassed by your request, resource limitations, and staff workload, it is taking a considerable amount of time to do so. The department will provide the records to which access is granted as soon as possible.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Human Services Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good afternoon,

The department received your fee payment for the CD to provide you with copies of records to which access is granted in response to your request. The department had previously communicated to you that a search of the department's files revealed a significant number of records that may be responsive to your request, and that the department would need time to review the records to determine whether they are responsive to your request, whether they are "public records" for purposes of the RTKL, and whether redaction is needed to protect certain information that is not subject to access under the RTKL. Although the department continues to work diligently to complete the review of the records, due to the sheer volume of records encompassed by your request, resource limitations, and staff workload, it is taking a considerable amount of time to do so. The department will provide the records to which access is granted as soon as possible.

Andrea Bankes | Agency Open Records Officer
Office of Administration
Department of Human Services
Room 234 Health & Human Services Building | Hbg PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.3422 | Fax: 717.772.2490
www.dhs.pa.gov<http://www.dhs.pa.gov/>

Creating partnerships to deliver quality services to customers through collaboration, consultation and supports.

Good afternoon,

The department received your fee payment for the CD to provide you with copies of records to which access is granted in response to your request. The department had previously communicated to you that a search of the department's files revealed a significant number of records that may be responsive to your request, and that the department would need time to review the records to determine whether they are responsive to your request, whether they are "public records" for purposes of the RTKL, and whether redaction is needed to protect certain information that is not subject to access under the RTKL. Although the department continues to work diligently to complete the review of the records, due to the sheer volume of records encompassed by your request, resource limitations, and staff workload, it is taking a considerable amount of time to do so. The department will provide the records to which access is granted as soon as possible.

[PA DHS Keystone Icon]
Andrea Bankes
Agency Open Records Officer
Department of Human Services
Health and Human Services Building
625 Forster Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: 717-787-3422