Pittsburgh City Council today tentatively approved a new e-mail privacy policy for the city's 3,300 employees, after a repeat of last week's debate over whether the Mayor's Office has peeked at the nine legislators' internal communications.

"Has this administration ever come to you and asked you to snoop on council members' e-mails?" Councilman Jim Motznik asked City Information Systems Director Howard Stern.

"No one in this administration has ever asked me to snoop on another council member's e-mails," Mr. Stern answered.

"I did get another answer when I asked that question privately," Council President Doug Shields said later. "To me it's in dispute at this time, based on prior conversations."

Under the legislation, sponsored by Councilman William Peduto, when a city supervisor or manager asks to see an underling's e-mail, they have to fill out a form that is reviewed by the city solicitor before access is provided. If anyone wants to read e-mail by the mayor, city controller or a council member, they need the O.K. of both the solicitor and the chair of the Ethics Hearing Board.

The legislation doesn't trump the state Right-to-Know Act, which makes most e-mail messages written by public officials subject to disclosure on request, subject to several dozen exceptions.

The vote was 6-2, and a final vote could occur Monday.

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