Bill co-sponsored by Addabbo to provide public with comprehensive online information about New York State finances passes Senate

In an effort to provide all New Yorkers with greater access to timely public information about the State’s financial circumstances, the NYS Senate passed legislation (S.3387) co-sponsored by Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. to require the Division of the Budget to create and maintain a single searchable database offering comprehensive data about government revenues and expenditures.

“There is plenty of information out there on various NYS government websites about the state’s spending activities and revenues, but the different databases are often very difficult and confusing to navigate,” said Addabbo.  “The Online Revenues and Expenditures Transparency Act would basically provide one-stop shopping for residents who want to see exactly how their taxpayer dollars are being used and how the State is balancing its books.”

Under the proposal, the State Office of Information Technology and the State Division of the Budget would work collaboratively to develop and maintain a searchable website providing data about annual state expenditures, bond debt payments, aid to local governments, annual revenues, agency earnings, tax revenues received, gifts and donations, federal grants, and other pertinent fiscal information. The site would be fully operational by February 2025, retain information for ten years, and state expenditure and revenue statistics would be updated monthly.

“Instead of forcing interested New Yorkers to wade through an Internet labyrinth of fiscal information to get an idea of how their tax dollars are being used, this proposed website would allow them to gain ready access to specific up-to-date data and get their questions answered more quickly and easily,” said Addabbo. “Government should always seek to increase its accountability and transparency, and this legislation would help to achieve this goal.”

Having passed the Senate, the bill is now under review by the State Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations.