NY State Senate Bill 2013-S7587

Senate Bill S7587

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Requires public authorities to conduct open meetings and provide an internet broadcast of its meetings

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Corporations, Authorities And Commissions 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 15, 2014	referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

co-Sponsors

2013-S7587 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8987
Current Committee:: Senate Corporations, Authorities And Commissions
Law Section:: Public Authorities Law
Laws Affected:: Add §§2824-b & 2824-c, Pub Auth L
Versions Introduced in 2015-2016 Legislative Session:: S308, A4788

2013-S7587 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires public authorities to conduct open meetings and provide an internet broadcast of its meetings.

2013-S7587 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S7587

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the public authorities law, in
relation to requiring open meetings and the internet broadcast of open
meetings of each state authority and local authority

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would require state and local authorities to webcast,
record, archive and provide access to their meetings via the Internet
to the public.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends public authorities law by requiring all state and
local authorities to comply with the open meetings law.

Requires state and local authorities to webcast their board and
committee meetings, to record said meetings, to archive said meeting
and to provide access to said archive on its website for the prior
year.

*Provides a webcasting exception for executive sessions.

*Provides a one year waiver of the webcasting requirement for
authorities which do not satisfy respective one million dollar

thresholds.

*Establishes standing to enforce compliance with the statute.

Section 2 is the effective date

JUSTIFICATION:

This bill would ensure that the public business being performed at
state and local public benefit corporations is in an open and public
manner which is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society
and to the ensure transparency and accountability at public
authorities. New affordable and innovative technology allows all
public authorities to webcast their meetings. This bill would
modernize the open meeting law for the 21st century. Under this law,
New Yorkers would be provided a window into the secluded board rooms
where decisions impacting the public happen every day. Just as the
state legislative proceeding are webcast and archived so should the
entities that are delegated legislative authority. For the majority of
the public who cannot personally attend board meetings, this would
allow them to access them from home, at work or at a time/place
convenient for them.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Undetermined.


EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect 180 days after it shall become law.

2013-S7587 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  7587

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 15, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced by Sen. ESPAILLAT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed  to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities
  and Commissions

AN ACT to amend the public authorities law,  in  relation  to  requiring
  open  meetings  and  the  internet  broadcast of open meetings of each
  state authority and local authority

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

  Section  1.  The  public  authorities law is amended by adding two new
sections 2824-b and 2824-c to read as follows:
  S 2824-B. OPEN MEETINGS. EACH  STATE  AUTHORITY  AND  LOCAL  AUTHORITY
SHALL  BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE PUBLIC OFFI-
CERS LAW.
  S 2824-C. INTERNET BROADCAST OF OPEN MEETINGS. 1. EACH STATE AUTHORITY
AND LOCAL AUTHORITY SHALL BROADCAST OVER THE INTERNET,  LIVE  VIDEO  AND
AUDIO  OF EACH OPEN MEETING HELD BY THE AUTHORITY. THE TIME AND PLACE OF
EACH SUCH MEETING SHALL BE CONSPICUOUSLY POSTED ON THE  STATE  AUTHORITY
OR  LOCAL  AUTHORITY'S  INTERNET WEBSITE AT LEAST ONE WEEK PRIOR TO SUCH
MEETING.
  2. ALL MEETINGS BROADCAST IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION ONE  OF  THIS
SECTION  SHALL  BE RECORDED, ARCHIVED, AND MADE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC
ON ITS WEBSITE FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR AFTER THE DATE OF THE MEETING.
  3. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY TO ALL MEETINGS  OF  THE
BOARD AND ITS COMMITTEES, BUT SHALL NOT APPLY TO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS HELD
IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW.
  4.  EACH STATE AUTHORITY AND LOCAL AUTHORITY WHICH: (A) HAS REVENUE OF
LESS THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS; (B) HAS OUTSTANDING BONDS OR DEBT OF LESS
THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS; AND (C) IS ALLOCATED  LESS  THAN  ONE  MILLION
DOLLARS  IN STATE, COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS, MAY WAIVE,
FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR, THE REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISIONS ONE
AND TWO OF THIS SECTION, IF VOTED UPON AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF  THE
STATE AUTHORITY OR LOCAL AUTHORITY.
  5.  EACH  STATE  AUTHORITY  AND LOCAL AUTHORITY THAT APPROVES A WAIVER
PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE REQUIRED TO SATIS-

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

                                                           LBD14231-01-4

S. 7587                             2

FY THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBDIVISIONS ONE AND TWO OF THIS SECTION IF  THEY
SURPASS ANY OF THE RESPECTIVE ONE MILLION DOLLAR THRESHOLDS SET FORTH IN
SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION, IN ANY FISCAL YEAR.
  6.  ANY AGGRIEVED PERSON SHALL HAVE STANDING TO ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS
OF THIS SECTION AGAINST A STATE AUTHORITY  OR  LOCAL  AUTHORITY  BY  THE
COMMENCEMENT  OF  A  PROCEEDING PURSUANT TO ARTICLE SEVENTY-EIGHT OF THE
CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES, OR AN ACTION FOR DECLARATORY JUDGEMENT AND
INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING, IF A  COURT  DETER-
MINES  THAT  A  STATE AUTHORITY OR LOCAL AUTHORITY FAILED TO COMPLY WITH
THIS SECTION, THE COURT SHALL HAVE THE POWER, IN  ITS  DISCRETION,  UPON
GOOD CAUSE SHOWN, TO DECLARE THAT THE STATE AUTHORITY OR LOCAL AUTHORITY
VIOLATED  THIS  SECTION  AND/OR  DECLARE THE ACTION TAKEN IN RELATION TO
SUCH VIOLATION VOID, IN WHOLE OR  IN  PART,  WITHOUT  PREJUDICE  TO  THE
RECONSIDERATION IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION.
  7.  IN  ANY  PROCEEDING  BROUGHT  PURSUANT  TO THIS SECTION, COSTS AND
REASONABLE ATTORNEY FEES MAY BE AWARDED BY THE COURT, IN ITS DISCRETION,
TO THE SUCCESSFUL PARTY.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S7587

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Sponsored By

Adriano Espaillat