GALEF AND MARCHIONE BILL ALLOWING ELECTRONIC POSTINGS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS SIGNED INTO LAW
September 23, 2016
(September 16, 2016) – New York State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef (95th Assembly District) and State Senator Kathleen Marchione (R,C,I-Halfmoon, 43rd Senate District) announced today that a bill they sponsored together (Bill A6959-A/S7958) – that would expressly allow notice of a public meeting to be electronically submitted to the news media – was signed by Governor Cuomo into law, Chapter 302.
“Providing municipalities and schools the ability to send public notice of meetings electronically to news media is a common sense way to make such important public notices easily accessible and available to the public. In addition, requiring that public notices for any meetings being streamed live specify the website streaming the meeting is also an important step toward providing even more information to citizens about their government. All of these are positive outcomes in the best interest of good government and strengthening our democracy. I was proud to partner with Assemblywoman Sandra Galef on this important effort and thank Governor Cuomo for signing this measure into state law,” said New York State Senator Kathy Marchione (R,C,I-Halfmoon), Chair of the Senate's Local Government Committee.
“I am pleased that this legislation gives explicit allowance to local governments to transmit notices of public meetings to news outlets via electronic means,” New York State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef stated.
“On behalf of the over 900 Town Clerks of New York State, we commend the Governor for signing this important piece of legislation and thank Assemblywoman Galef and Senator Marchione in sponsoring and approving this important legislation. This is a positive step that will save time in getting notices to the media and therefore getting them out to the public,” said Linda Gilbert, President of the New York State Town Clerks Association.
The new law also addresses the seismic shift in how people get their information and news.
“More and more people are looking to the internet to learn what is going on in their communities,” continued Galef. “It is my hope that this legislation will help make government more in-touch with modern communications.”
###
