Legislation
SECTION 203-B
Additional duties of the commissioner regarding information on state boards
Executive (EXC) CHAPTER 18, ARTICLE 10
§ 203-b. Additional duties of the commissioner regarding information
on state boards. 1. As used in this section, "commissioner" means the
commissioner of general services and, "board" means any board,
commission, committee, council, task force or any similar state public
organization, required to be established pursuant to the state
constitution, state statutes or executive order, for the exercise of any
function of state government and to which members are appointed or
elected. "Board" does not include:
a. any informal advisory organization not established by law;
b. any joint standing committee of the legislature or any committee of
the assembly and/or senate composed entirely of members of the
legislature;
c. any court;
d. the board of trustees of any institution of higher education
financially supported in whole or in part by the state;
e. any entity of local government;
f. any public authority or public benefit corporation, a majority of
whose members are appointed by the governor or serve as members by
virtue of holding state offices to which they were appointed by the
governor, or any combination thereof; and
g. any board of elections.
2. The commissioner shall maintain a list of all state boards,
including state boards deemed active and regularly meeting on and after
the effective date of this section. The commissioner shall keep such
list on a website designated by the commissioner for the purpose of
public access, and such list shall have a link to the website for each
such board established pursuant to subdivision three of this section.
The designated website shall be updated annually.
3. Each board or the state agency that provides administrative support
or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall establish and maintain a
website available to the public and provide a link to such website to
the commissioner. Each board or the state agency that provides
administrative support or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall
annually on or before January first, update the information on its
website.
4. The website established by each board or the state agency that
provides administrative support or is otherwise affiliated with a board
shall include, but not be limited to:
a. statutory language, executive order or other legal basis or
authorization for the establishment of such board;
b. public information including departmental affiliation, contact
address, phone number, and website;
c. a brief description of the purpose of the board and its legally
required duties, including required reports or other products;
d. the size of board membership, current member names, and any
qualifications;
e. whether members of a board are eligible for payment of expenses or
other compensation in the performance of their duties as members of such
board and information on compensation and expenses incurred in the prior
and current fiscal years, as well as projected costs for the coming
fiscal year;
f. meeting minutes and agendas, dates and locations of all meetings
held, and to be held within six months, or a location, including but not
limited to another website, in which such information can be publicly
accessed;
g. geographic and other relevant qualifications of all current members
of the board, including the county in which the member resides and the
background or expertise the member possesses where such background or
expertise is required for membership on such board; and
h. any other information the commissioner may require. Nothing in this
section shall authorize the release or publication of any board member's
residential address.
5. Each board or the state agency that provides administrative support
or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall update on an annual basis
beginning November first, two thousand twenty-three on its website, all
vacancies, expired terms, terms expiring within one year, and the
process for filling such vacancies on such boards.
6. On or before January first, two thousand twenty-four, the
commissioner shall report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly,
the temporary president of the senate, the chair of the assembly
oversight, analysis and investigation committee and the chair of the
senate investigations and government operations committee on the status
of the list including but not limited to the number of boards reported
and verified. The commissioner shall also report on any impediments to
obtaining information.
on state boards. 1. As used in this section, "commissioner" means the
commissioner of general services and, "board" means any board,
commission, committee, council, task force or any similar state public
organization, required to be established pursuant to the state
constitution, state statutes or executive order, for the exercise of any
function of state government and to which members are appointed or
elected. "Board" does not include:
a. any informal advisory organization not established by law;
b. any joint standing committee of the legislature or any committee of
the assembly and/or senate composed entirely of members of the
legislature;
c. any court;
d. the board of trustees of any institution of higher education
financially supported in whole or in part by the state;
e. any entity of local government;
f. any public authority or public benefit corporation, a majority of
whose members are appointed by the governor or serve as members by
virtue of holding state offices to which they were appointed by the
governor, or any combination thereof; and
g. any board of elections.
2. The commissioner shall maintain a list of all state boards,
including state boards deemed active and regularly meeting on and after
the effective date of this section. The commissioner shall keep such
list on a website designated by the commissioner for the purpose of
public access, and such list shall have a link to the website for each
such board established pursuant to subdivision three of this section.
The designated website shall be updated annually.
3. Each board or the state agency that provides administrative support
or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall establish and maintain a
website available to the public and provide a link to such website to
the commissioner. Each board or the state agency that provides
administrative support or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall
annually on or before January first, update the information on its
website.
4. The website established by each board or the state agency that
provides administrative support or is otherwise affiliated with a board
shall include, but not be limited to:
a. statutory language, executive order or other legal basis or
authorization for the establishment of such board;
b. public information including departmental affiliation, contact
address, phone number, and website;
c. a brief description of the purpose of the board and its legally
required duties, including required reports or other products;
d. the size of board membership, current member names, and any
qualifications;
e. whether members of a board are eligible for payment of expenses or
other compensation in the performance of their duties as members of such
board and information on compensation and expenses incurred in the prior
and current fiscal years, as well as projected costs for the coming
fiscal year;
f. meeting minutes and agendas, dates and locations of all meetings
held, and to be held within six months, or a location, including but not
limited to another website, in which such information can be publicly
accessed;
g. geographic and other relevant qualifications of all current members
of the board, including the county in which the member resides and the
background or expertise the member possesses where such background or
expertise is required for membership on such board; and
h. any other information the commissioner may require. Nothing in this
section shall authorize the release or publication of any board member's
residential address.
5. Each board or the state agency that provides administrative support
or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall update on an annual basis
beginning November first, two thousand twenty-three on its website, all
vacancies, expired terms, terms expiring within one year, and the
process for filling such vacancies on such boards.
6. On or before January first, two thousand twenty-four, the
commissioner shall report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly,
the temporary president of the senate, the chair of the assembly
oversight, analysis and investigation committee and the chair of the
senate investigations and government operations committee on the status
of the list including but not limited to the number of boards reported
and verified. The commissioner shall also report on any impediments to
obtaining information.