BILL NUMBER: S6776A

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring
certain reports of public authorities are published via the public
authorities reporting information system

 
PURPOSE:

To increase transparency and accessibility to certain information that
public authorities are required to report, and make it readily available
to the public rather than the current mechanism of access that exists
today.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 and 2 Amend Sections 2800 and 2801 of the public authorities
law to require annual reports and budget reports that public authorities
are required to submit to the Authorities Budget Office to be made
available to the public on the Public Authorities Reporting Information
              

System (PARIS). This system currently requires a login. This bill would
enable public access.

Section 3 Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

There are statutes and regulations that require this information be
reported so there is adequate oversight of public entities and authori-
ties. This will increase the accessibility of public oversight by allow-
ing unrestricted access to this information that is already required to
be reported and submitted to the Authorities Budget Office.

The role of Public Authorities and Industrial. Development Agencies is
essential to development of communities from the local to state level.
There is information in the reports ranging from financial status,
information related to the board of directors, how much debt the author-
ity maintains, revenues, expenditures and more. Therefore, if the infor-
mation must be reported in this database, it should be just as easily
accessible to the public.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S1207, PASSED SENATE 03/31/2022; referred to corporations, author-
ities and commissions in assembly

2021: S1207, PASSED SENATE 06/03/2021; died in assembly

2020: S8941, died in rules.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
180 Days