S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8314
2011-2012 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
June 13, 2011
___________
Introduced by M. of A. NOLAN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to meetings and absences
of the board of regents
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 204 of the education law is amended to read as
follows:
S 204. Meetings and absences. 1. (A) The regents may provide for regu-
lar meetings[, and the chancellor, or the commissioner of education, or
any five regents, may at any time call a special meeting of the board of
regents and fix the time and place therefor; and at least ten days'
notice of every meeting shall be mailed to the usual address of each
regent. If any regent shall fail to attend three consecutive meetings,
without excuse accepted as satisfactory by the regents, he may be deemed
to have resigned and the regents shall then report the vacancy to the
legislature, which shall fill it] OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND ANY
COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE, COUNCIL OR OTHER BODY THEREOF. NOTICE OF TIME,
PLACE AND AGENDA FOR ALL REGULAR PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS
AND ANY COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE, COUNCIL OR OTHER SUCH BODY OF THE BOARD
SHALL BE PUBLICLY PROVIDED AT LEAST TEN DAYS IN ADVANCE OF SUCH MEETING.
SUCH NOTICE OF TIME, PLACE AND AGENDA SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED VIA THE
BOARD'S OFFICIAL INTERNET WEBSITE AND SPECIFICALLY DISTRIBUTED BY UNITED
STATES POSTAL SERVICE TO ALL REGENTS AT THEIR USUAL ADDRESSES AND, IF A
MEETING OF A COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE, COUNCIL OR OTHER SUCH BODY OF THE
BOARD, BY SUCH MEANS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE UNITED STATES
POSTAL SERVICE OR ELECTRONIC MEANS, AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMITTEE, TASK
FORCE, COUNCIL OR OTHER SUCH BODY. AN AGENDA FOR A REGULAR PUBLIC MEET-
ING OF THE BOARD OR ANY COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE, COUNCIL OR OTHER BODY
THEREOF, SHALL BE COMPRISED OF A LIST OF ALL ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED, A
DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF EACH SUCH ITEM AND THE FULL TEXT OF
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13075-01-1
A. 8314 2
ALL ITEMS SUBJECT TO A VOTE AND THE NAME OF A PERSON KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT
THE AGENDA AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SUCH PERSON, INCLUDING OFFICE
ADDRESS, E-MAIL ADDRESS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER, FROM WHOM INFORMATION
ABOUT THE AGENDA MAY BE OBTAINED AND TO WHOM WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE
SUBMITTED. THE NOTICE AND AGENDA SHALL BE CONSIDERED A PUBLIC RECORD.
(B) THE CHANCELLOR OR THE COMMISSIONER, OR ANY FIVE REGENTS, MAY AT
ANY TIME CALL A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND FIX THE TIME
AND PLACE THEREFOR. NOTICE OF TIME, PLACE AND AGENDA FOR ALL REGULAR
PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND ANY COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE,
COUNCIL OR OTHER SUCH BODY OF THE BOARD SHALL BE PUBLICLY PROVIDED AT
LEAST THREE DAYS IN ADVANCE OF SUCH MEETING. SUCH NOTICE OF TIME, PLACE
AND AGENDA SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED VIA THE BOARD'S OFFICIAL INTERNET
WEBSITE AND SPECIFICALLY CIRCULATED ACCORDING TO THE RULES AND REGU-
LATIONS OF THE REGENTS TO ALL REGENTS. THE BOARD OF REGENTS SPECIAL
PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA SHALL BE COMPRISED OF A LIST OF ALL ITEMS TO BE
CONSIDERED, A DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF EACH SUCH ITEM AND
THE FULL TEXT OF ALL ITEMS SUBJECT TO A VOTE AND THE NAME OF A PERSON
KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE AGENDA AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SUCH PERSON,
INCLUDING OFFICE ADDRESS, E-MAIL ADDRESS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER, FROM
WHOM INFORMATION ABOUT THE AGENDA MAY BE OBTAINED AND TO WHOM WRITTEN
COMMENTS MAY BE SUBMITTED. THE NOTICE AND AGENDA SHALL BE CONSIDERED A
PUBLIC RECORD.
2. ANY MEETING OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND ANY COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE,
COUNCIL OR OTHER SUCH BODY SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE
SEVEN OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW.
3. A SUMMARY OF RESOLUTIONS, DECISIONS AND OTHER ACTIONS BY THE BOARD
OF REGENTS AND ANY COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE, COUNCIL OR OTHER BODY THEREOF
FOR ANY MEETING SHALL BE ELECTRONICALLY AVAILABLE ON THE BOARD OF
REGENTS WEBSITE NO LATER THAN FIVE DAYS FOLLOWING SUCH MEETING AND SHALL
BE CONSIDERED A PUBLIC RECORD. THE APPROVED MINUTES, ATTENDANCE, VOTING
RECORD AND EITHER TRANSCRIPTS OR VIDEO RECORD FOR ANY MEETING MUST BE
POSTED NO LATER THAN FIVE DAYS FOLLOWING THE APPROVAL BY THE BOARD,
COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE, COUNCIL OR OTHER SUCH BODY. INFORMATION POSTED ON
THE BOARD OF REGENTS WEBSITE SHALL REMAIN ON THE SITE AS ARCHIVED DATA
FOR A MINIMUM OF TEN YEARS.
4. IF ANY REGENT SHALL FAIL TO ATTEND THREE CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS,
WITHOUT EXCUSE ACCEPTED AS SATISFACTORY BY THE REGENTS, THAT REGENT MAY
BE DEEMED TO HAVE RESIGNED AND THE REGENTS SHALL THEN REPORT THE VACANCY
TO THE LEGISLATURE WHICH SHALL FILL IT.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.