S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  9813

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              May 23, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  SCHIMMINGER -- read once and referred to the
  Committee on Governmental Operations

AN ACT to amend the state administrative procedure  act,  the  executive
  law and the legislative law, in relation to the transmittal of certain
  records by electronic means

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1.  Section 201 of the state administrative procedure act,  as
amended  by  chapter  331  of  the  laws  of 1992, is amended to read as
follows:
  S 201. Adoption of procedures; plain language.  1. This article estab-
lishes minimum procedures for all agencies, provided, however, an agency
may adopt by rule additional procedures not inconsistent  with  statute.
Each  agency  shall strive to ensure that, to the maximum extent practi-
cal, its rules, regulations and related documents are written in a clear
and coherent manner, using words with common and everyday meanings.
  2.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  PROVISION  OF  THIS  ARTICLE  OR  ANY  OTHER
PROVISION OF LAW, AGENCIES SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO TRANSMIT, BY ELECTRON-
IC  MEANS  IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE THREE OF THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW,
ANY NOTICE, REPORT, AGENDA OR OTHER DATA  REQUIRED  TO  BE  PROVIDED  OR
SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
  S 2. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 202 of the state admin-
istrative  procedure act, as added by chapter 17 of the laws of 1984, is
amended to read as follows:
  (c) When appropriate in the judgment of the agency, a notice may  also
be published in newspapers of general circulation and in trade, industry
or professional publications as the agency may select, AND MAY BE POSTED
ON  THE  AGENCY'S INTERNET WEBSITE, AND MAY BE TRANSMITTED TO NEWSPAPERS
AND TRADE, INDUSTRY OR PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS BY ELECTRONIC MEANS  IN
ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE THREE OF THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW.
  S 3. Subdivision 6-a of section 202 of the state administrative proce-
dure  act,  as  added by chapter 850 of the laws of 1990, paragraphs (a)
and (b) as amended by chapter 171 of the laws of  1994,  is  amended  to
read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD14196-03-4

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  6-a.  Distribution  of  rule  making  information. (a) An agency shall
transmit a copy of any rule making  notice  prepared  pursuant  to  this
article  to  the  governor,  the  temporary president of the senate, the
speaker of the assembly, the administrative regulations  review  commis-
sion  and the office of regulatory and management assistance at the time
such notice is submitted to the secretary of state  for  publication  in
the  state  register.  Such  transmittal shall include the complete rule
text, regulatory  impact  statement,  regulatory  flexibility  analysis,
rural  area  flexibility  analysis,  or revisions thereof, and any other
information submitted to the secretary of state pursuant to  this  arti-
cle.  FURTHERMORE, SUCH TRANSMITTAL MAY BE COMPLETED BY ELECTRONIC MEANS
IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE THREE OF THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW.
  (b)  An agency shall make a copy of the complete text of any proposed,
adopted or emergency rule, regulatory impact statement, regulatory flex-
ibility analysis, rural area flexibility analysis, or revisions  thereof
available,  IN  WRITTEN  AND ELECTRONIC FORMS, to the public at the time
such documents are submitted to the secretary of state  for  publication
in  the  state register and shall send to any person a copy of such text
upon written OR ELECTRONIC request.
  (c) An agency shall notify every person who has submitted a written OR
ELECTRONIC request to be notified of all  proposed,  revised,  emergency
and/or  adopted  rules which may affect such person. Such requests shall
expire annually on the thirty-first day of December  with  renewals  for
the  succeeding  year to be accepted on or after December first. Notices
issued pursuant to such requests shall be sent in writing OR  ELECTRONIC
FORM  to  the  last  address OR ELECTRONIC MAIL ADDRESS specified by the
person. An agency may charge any person requesting  such  notice  a  fee
consisting of the cost of preparation, handling and postage.
  S  4.  The opening paragraph of subdivision 3 of section 202-bb of the
state administrative procedure act, as added by chapter 171 of the  laws
of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
  In proposing a rule for adoption or in adopting a rule on an emergency
basis,  the agency shall issue a rural area flexibility analysis regard-
ing the rule being proposed for adoption or  the  emergency  rule  being
adopted.  A  copy of such analysis and any finding, and reasons for such
finding, pursuant to this section, shall be submitted  IN  WRITING,  AND
MAY  BE  TRANSMITTED  ELECTRONICALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE THREE OF
THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW, to the governor, the  temporary  president  of
the  senate,  the speaker of the assembly, the office for regulatory and
management assistance and the administrative regulations review  commis-
sion  at the time such analysis is submitted OR ELECTRONICALLY TRANSMIT-
TED to the secretary of state for publication and, upon written OR ELEC-
TRONIC request, a copy shall be sent OR  ELECTRONICALLY  TRANSMITTED  to
any other person. Each rural area flexibility analysis shall contain:
  S  5.  Paragraph  (a)  of  subdivision 1 of section 202-d of the state
administrative procedure act, as amended by chapter 462 of the  laws  of
2012, is amended to read as follows:
  (a)  The departments of health, education, environmental conservation,
financial services, labor, agriculture and markets, motor  vehicles  and
state,  the  offices  of  children and family services and temporary and
disability assistance, the division of housing and community renewal and
the workers' compensation board, and any other department  specified  by
the  governor or his or her designee shall, and any other agency may, in
its discretion, submit IN WRITING OR ELECTRONICALLY IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH
ARTICLE THREE OF THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW to the secretary of state, for
publication  in  the first regular issue of the state register published

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during the month of January and the last  regular  issue  of  the  state
register  published  in  June,  a  regulatory agenda to solicit comments
concerning any rule which the agency is considering to propose, but  for
which  no  notice of proposed rule making has been submitted pursuant to
subdivision one of section two hundred two of this article.
  S 6. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section  202-d  of  the
state  administrative procedure act, as added by chapter 698 of the laws
of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
  An agency may, in its discretion, submit IN WRITING OR  ELECTRONICALLY
IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  ARTICLE  THREE  OF THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW to the
secretary of state, for publication in the first regular  issue  of  the
state  register  published during the months of January, May and Septem-
ber, a regulatory agenda to afford the agency an opportunity to  solicit
comments  concerning any rule which the agency is considering proposing,
but for which no notice of  proposed  rule  making  has  been  submitted
pursuant to subdivision one of section two hundred two of this [chapter]
ARTICLE.  A  regulatory  agenda  shall be comprised of summaries of such
rules. Each summary shall, in less than two thousand words, contain,  in
so far as practicable:
  S  7.  Subdivisions  2  and  3  of section 101-a of the executive law,
subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 610 of the laws of 1987 and subdivi-
sion 3 as amended by chapter 483 of the laws of  1988,  are  amended  to
read as follows:
  2.  Except  as provided in subdivision three of this section, at least
forty-five days prior to either the adoption  of  any  rule,  or,  if  a
public hearing is required by statute, at least forty-five days prior to
the  first  public  hearing  on a proposed rule, the agency proposing to
take such action shall send IN WRITING OR MAY TRANSMIT ELECTRONICALLY IN
ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE THREE OF THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW a notification
of such proposed action to the temporary president of the senate and the
speaker of the assembly.   This notification shall:  (a)  refer  to  the
statutory  authority  under  which  the action is proposed, (b) give the
time and place of any public hearing that may  be  scheduled  concerning
the  proposed  action, or state the manner in which data, views or argu-
ments may be submitted to the agency concerning the proposed action, (c)
contain a copy of the complete  text  of  the  proposed  rule,  and  (d)
contain  a fiscal statement setting forth the fiscal consequences of the
proposed action on the state and its local governments.
  3. If the agency finds that it is necessary for  the  preservation  of
the  public  health,  safety  or  general  welfare  to dispense with the
requirements of subdivision two OF THIS SECTION, the agency may dispense
with such requirements and adopt the  rule,  as  an  emergency  measure.
Within  five  days of the filing of such emergency measure in the office
of the department of state, the agency taking such action shall send  OR
TRANSMIT,  AS THE CASE MAY BE, the temporary president of the senate and
the speaker of the assembly a notification  containing  the  information
required  by  subdivision  two  of this section; provided, however, such
notification shall also: (a) include a brief statement setting forth the
reasons why the agency finds that it is necessary for  the  preservation
of  the  public  health,  safety or general welfare to dispense with the
requirements of subdivision two of this section and adopt the rule as an
emergency measure, and (b) provide the date the emergency  measure  will
terminate  if  the  agency  does  not  intend to adopt such measure as a
permanent rule, or indicate that the agency intends to adopt such  meas-
ure  as a permanent rule, in which case compliance with the notification
requirements of this section shall be deemed satisfied.  The  effective-

A. 9813                             4

ness  of  any such emergency measure, unless adopted as a permanent rule
in the manner prescribed by law, shall not exceed ninety days after  the
filing  of  such  measure  in  the  office  of  the department of state,
provided,  however,  if such emergency measure is readopted prior to the
expiration of such ninety day period such readoption and any  subsequent
readoptions shall remain in effect for no longer than sixty days.
  S 8. Section 146 of the executive law, as amended by chapter 17 of the
laws  of  1984, paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 189
of the laws of 1996, subdivision 4-a as amended by  chapter  41  of  the
laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
  S 146. Publication  of  certain  public  notices. 1. The department of
state shall publish, pursuant to the schedule  in  section  one  hundred
forty-seven of this article, AND POST ON ITS INTERNET WEBSITE a publica-
tion  to be known as the state register, in which shall be published AND
POSTED from time to time as received by such department:
  (a) rules, orders, designations, and notices submitted  by  the  chief
administrator of the courts;
  (b)  notices  and  advertisements required by state statute or federal
law, rule or regulation to be published by an agency in a newspaper;
  (c) notices required by statute  to  be  published  in  newspapers  in
actions against foreign corporations;
  (d)  notices  and job impact statements required by the state adminis-
trative procedure act to be published in the state register; and
  (e) any other matter required by statute to be published in the  state
register.
  2.  The  secretary of state may, at his OR HER discretion, publish AND
POST in the state register any notice or information which is not other-
wise required by statute to be submitted to him OR HER by an  agency  or
public  corporation  for publication in the state register, in instances
where such publication AND POSTING will serve the public interest.
  3. With regard to rule making notices required  to  be  published  AND
POSTED in the state register pursuant to article two of the state admin-
istrative  procedure  act,  the  secretary  of  state may, at his OR HER
discretion, publish AND POST the complete text of a proposed or  adopted
rule,  which is not otherwise required to be published AND POSTED in the
state register, in instances where such  publication  AND  POSTING  will
serve  the  public  interest. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ACCEPT FROM A
STATE AGENCY ALL RULEMAKING NOTICES, STATEMENTS AND ANALYSES AS REQUIRED
BY THE STATE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE ACT, DATA, RULES, AND  REGULATIONS
AS PROVIDED FOR BY ARTICLE THREE OF THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW.
  4. With regard to a notice of adoption published in the state register
pursuant  to  article two of the state administrative procedure act, for
which the corresponding notice of proposed  rule  making  published  AND
POSTED in the state register included the complete text of the rule, the
secretary  of  state  may,  at  his  OR HER discretion, include only the
changes in such text in the notice of adoption.
  4-a. Notice of the availability of any state or federal funding  which
is to be distributed by any agency upon application by any municipality,
school  board, school district, not-for-profit organization or any other
individual or organization entitled to apply for such  funding  pursuant
to  any law, rule or regulation governing the distribution of such funds
shall be published AND POSTED in the state register. Such  notice  shall
appear  in  the register no later than forty-five days prior to the last
day for receipt of applications for such funding.  Such notice shall not
be required: (i) whenever a notice has been published in the procurement
opportunities newsletter pursuant to  article  four-C  of  the  economic

A. 9813                             5

development  law;  (ii) for state or federal transportation funding; and
(iii) in those instances where an entity has  been  specifically  desig-
nated  by  law  or legislative resolution to receive funding. Failure to
publish  the  notice in a timely manner shall not be a basis for setting
aside an award or challenging a contract or other legal claim.
  5. The publication AND POSTING of notices and  advertisements  in  the
state  register  shall be additional to their publication in newspapers,
whenever publication in newspapers is required by statute.
  6. The secretary of state shall promulgate rules  establishing  proce-
dure,  forms,  font  and style for submission of material by any person,
agency or public corporation for publication AND POSTING  in  the  state
register.
  S  9. Subdivision 3 of section 148 of the executive law, as amended by
chapter 636 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
  3. Subscriptions to the state register shall be made available to  the
public  by  either  first or second class mail, OR IN ELECTRONIC FORM at
the election of the subscriber. A reasonable rate for a subscription  to
PRINTED  COPIES  OF  the  regular  issue and quarterly index required by
subdivision three of section one hundred forty-seven of this article, to
be not more than eighty dollars per year for first class  mail  delivery
and not more than forty dollars per year for second class mail delivery,
shall  be  set  by  the  secretary  of state. The secretary of state may
charge no more than one dollar and fifty cents  per  single  copy  of  a
PRINTED  regular  issue  or quarterly index of the state register. Rates
shall not be set at such a level that the anticipated total subscription
revenues exceed the total cost of producing, printing  and  distributing
the state register.
  S 10. Subdivision 1 of section 149 of the executive law, as amended by
chapter  17  of  the laws of 1984, is amended and a new subdivision 4 is
added to read as follows:
  1. The PRINTED VERSION OF THE state register shall  be  an  eight  and
one-half  by  eleven  inch  booklet with three holes punched in the left
hand margin to make such register suitable for storage in an  eight  and
one-half by eleven inch loose-leaf binder.
  4.  TO  THE  EXTENT  PRACTICABLE,  EVERY VERSION OF THE STATE REGISTER
TRANSMITTED BY ELECTRONIC MEANS  SHALL  SUBSTANTIALLY  COMPLY  WITH  THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
  S  11.  Section  87  of the legislative law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 4 to read as follows:
  4. THE COMMISSION SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE,  FROM  A
STATE  AGENCY,  ALL  RULEMAKING  NOTICES,  STATEMENTS  AND  ANALYSES  AS
PROVIDED FOR PURSUANT TO THE STATE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE  ACT,  DATA,
RULES, REGULATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION BY ELECTRONIC MEANS AS PROVIDED
FOR BY ARTICLE THREE OF THE STATE TECHNOLOGY LAW.
  S  12.  This  act  shall  take effect on the one hundred twentieth day
after it shall have become a law, provided that the amendments to  para-
graph  (a) of subdivision 1 of section 202-d of the state administrative
procedure act, made by section five of this act, shall be subject to the
expiration and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to  section  2  of
chapter  402  of  the  laws of 1994, as amended, when upon such date the
provisions of section six of this act shall take effect;  and  provided,
further,  that  effective  immediately,  the  addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
this  act  on  its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
and completed on or before such effective date.