Senate Bill S1232

2011-2012 Legislative Session

Expands the exemption provided to professional journalists and newscasters from contempt to include employment or association with a web log

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2011-S1232 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A1462
Current Committee:
Senate Codes
Law Section:
Civil Rights Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §79-h, Civ Rts L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S4642, A6078
2013-2014: S2353, A727
2015-2016: S77, A371
2017-2018: S89, A1249
2019-2020: S431, A1008
2021-2022: S4003, A2207
2023-2024: S2439, A1126

2011-S1232 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Expands the exemption provided to professional journalists and newscasters from contempt to include employment or association with a web log; defines web log as a website or webpage that contains an online journal containing news, comments and offers hyperlinks provided by the writer.

2011-S1232 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2011-S1232 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  1232

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             January 6, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  DUANE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to exemptions provided
  to professional journalists and newscasters from contempt

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Paragraph 6 of subdivision (a) of section 79-h of the civil
rights law, as amended by chapter 468 of the laws of 1981, is amended to
read as follows:
  (6)  "Professional journalist" shall mean one who, for gain or liveli-
hood, is engaged in gathering, preparing, collecting, writing,  editing,
filming, taping or photographing of news intended for a newspaper, maga-
zine,  news  agency,  press association [or], wire service or WEB LOG OR
other professional medium or agency which has  as  one  of  its  regular
functions  the  processing  and researching of news intended for dissem-
ination to the public; such person  shall  be  someone  performing  said
function either as a regular employee or as one otherwise professionally
affiliated for gain or livelihood with such medium of communication.
  S  2.  Subdivision  (a)  of  section  79-h  of the civil rights law is
amended by adding a new paragraph 9 to read as follows:
  (9) "WEB LOG" SHALL MEAN A WEBSITE OR WEBPAGE THAT CONTAINS AN  ONLINE
JOURNAL  CONTAINING NEWS, COMMENTS AND OFFERS HYPERLINKS PROVIDED BY THE
PROFESSIONAL JOURNALIST OR NEWSCASTER.
  S 3. Subdivision (b) of section 79-h  of  the  civil  rights  law,  as
amended  by  chapter  33  of  the  laws  of  1990, is amended to read as
follows:
  (b)  Exemption  of  professional  journalists  and  newscasters   from
contempt: Absolute protection for confidential news. Notwithstanding the
provisions  of  any  general or specific law to the contrary, no profes-
sional journalist or newscaster  presently  or  having  previously  been
employed  or  otherwise  associated  with  any newspaper, magazine, news

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01065-01-1
              

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