Relates to the publication of information on public meetings; requires the office of information technology services to develop a mobile application and website to publish information on every public meeting held by a state or local public body; requires public bodies to report such meetings to the office of information technology services.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1236
SPONSOR: Epstein TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the state technology law and the public officers law, in
relation to the publication of information on public meetings
PURPOSE:
To improve transparency in government by creating an app and website
that displays information of public meetings.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 103 of the state technology law by adding a new
subdivision 22 to develop a mobile application and corresponding inter-
net website to publish information on every public meeting held by a
state or local public body.
Section 2 amends section 104 of the public officers law by adding a new
subdivision 7 requiring public notice of a meeting held by a state or
local public body to be electronically transmitted to the office of
information technology services.
Section 3 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
There is currently no centralized place where New York State residents
can access information about public meetings held by government agencies
or entities. In an effort to promote transparency across government, the
Office of Information Technology Services should create a mobile appli-
cation and corresponding website which publishes information about every
public meeting held by municipal and state entities and agencies. New
Yorkers have the right to be adequately informed of government activ-
ities which they can participate in.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1236
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the state technology law and the public officers law, in
relation to the publication of information on public meetings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 103 of the state technology law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 23 to read as follows:
3 23. To develop a mobile application and corresponding internet website
4 to publish information on every public meeting held by a state or local
5 public body under article seven of the public officers law. Such infor-
6 mation shall include, but not be limited to:
7 (a) the date of the public meeting;
8 (b) the time of the public meeting;
9 (c) the location of the public meeting including links for videocon-
10 ferencing; and
11 (d) summaries of the purpose of the public meeting.
12 § 2. Section 104 of the public officers law is amended by adding a new
13 subdivision 7 to read as follows:
14 7. Public notice of a meeting held by a state or local public body, as
15 defined by this article, shall be electronically transmitted to the
16 office of information technology services, within the timeframes estab-
17 lished in subdivisions one and two of this section, for publication on
18 the mobile application and corresponding internet website developed
19 pursuant to subdivision twenty-three of section one hundred three of the
20 state technology law.
21 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
22 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03561-01-3
