BILL NUMBER: S4704A

SPONSOR: KAPLAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to requiring that
minutes of meetings of a public body be posted on its website

 
PURPOSE:

To make minutes, or unabridged audio or video recordings, or unabridged
written transcripts of meetings of a public body available online for
the public

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision 3 of section 106 of the public officers law
to require public bodies that maintain a regularly and routinely updated
website and utilize a high speed internet connection to make meeting
minutes, or unabridged audio or video recordings, or unabridged written
transcripts available on the public body's website.
              

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Open Meetings Law is intended to empower the public through the
availability and accessibility of meetings of public bodies. In an
effort to provide the public with useful information, current law
requires the meeting minutes of all public bodies to be made available
to the public upon request.

Section 106 of the Open Meetings Law does not mandate that meeting
minutes be posted online. Rather, this section of the law only requires
public bodies to make meeting minutes available, upon request, within 14
days of the meeting, or within seven days of an executive session where
a formal vote is taken. In an analysis of 20 local governments conducted
by the New York Coalition for Open Government, only 30 percent of local
governments posted minutes of the previous meeting before the next meet-
ing occurred.

Given COVID-19, individuals are at an immense disadvantage because there
are no in-person opportunity to attend meetings and traveling to the
public body's office to make a request for the meeting minutes presents
unnecessary risk. Therefore, it is important that public bodies make
meeting minutes, recordings, videos or transcripts available online so
the public can safely and effectively access them. Both Vermont and
Virginia have passed similar laws that require minutes to be posted
online within 5 and 10 days of a public body meeting, respectively.

This bill would require public bodies that maintain a regularly and
routinely updated website and utilize a high speed internet connection
to post meeting minutes, or audio or video recordings, or written tran-
scripts on the public body's website within 14 days of the meeting or
within seven days of an executive session where a formal vote is taken.
This bill would equip the public with more information so they can
understand the actions and decisions of public bodies and hold authori-
ties accountable.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A.11142, 2020, referred to governmental operations.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.