Senate Bill S3438A

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to making certain public records available on the internet

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules 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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Bill Amendments

2023-S3438 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6831
Current Committee:
Senate Rules
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§84, 86, 87 & 89, Pub Off L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:
S8926

2023-S3438 - Summary

Requires governmental and certain nongovernmental entities to publish public records proactively on the internet that are of public interest.

2023-S3438 - Sponsor Memo

2023-S3438 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3438
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 31, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
   ment Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to  making  certain
   public records available on the internet

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 84 of the public officers law, as added by  chapter
 933 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
   § 84. Legislative  declaration.  The  legislature  hereby finds that a
 free society is maintained when government is responsive and responsible
 to the public, and when the public is aware of governmental actions. The
 more open a government is with its citizenry,  the  greater  the  under-
 standing  and  participation  of the public in government. PEOPLE HAVE A
 RIGHT TO KNOW HOW GOVERNMENT OPERATES AND SPENDS MONEY.
   As state and local government services increase  and  public  problems
 become more sophisticated and complex and therefore harder to solve, and
 with  the  resultant increase in revenues and expenditures, it is incum-
 bent upon the state and its localities to extend  public  accountability
 wherever and whenever feasible.
   The people's right to know the process of governmental decision-making
 and  to review the documents and statistics leading to determinations is
 basic to our society. Access to such information should not be  thwarted
 by shrouding it with the cloak of secrecy or confidentiality.
   SINCE  THE  FREEDOM  OF INFORMATION LAW WAS FIRST ADOPTED, ADVANCES IN
 TECHNOLOGY HAVE ENHANCED THE  ABILITY  TO  GAIN  ACCESS  TO  AND  WIDELY
 DISSEMINATE  PUBLIC INFORMATION. ACCORDINGLY, THE LEGISLATURE FINDS THAT
 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, WHEN AGENCIES HAVE THE ABILITY  TO  DO  SO,  SHOULD
 PUBLISH  PUBLIC  RECORDS  PROACTIVELY ON THE INTERNET THAT ARE OF PUBLIC
 INTEREST AND AVAILABLE UNDER THIS ARTICLE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06932-01-3
 S. 3438                             2
              

2023-S3438A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6831
Current Committee:
Senate Rules
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§84, 86, 87 & 89, Pub Off L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:
S8926

2023-S3438A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires governmental and certain nongovernmental entities to publish public records proactively on the internet that are of public interest.

2023-S3438A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S3438A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3438--A
     Cal. No. 1408
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 31, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
   ment Operations -- recommitted to the Committee on Investigations  and
   Government  Operations  in  accordance  with  Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --
   reported favorably from  said  committee,  ordered  to  first  report,
   amended  on  first  report,  ordered  to  a  second report and ordered
   reprinted, retaining its place in the order of second report
 
 AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to  making  certain
   public records available on the internet
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 84 of the public officers law, as added by  chapter
 933 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
   § 84. Legislative  declaration.  The  legislature  hereby finds that a
 free society is maintained when government is responsive and responsible
 to the public, and when the public is aware of governmental actions. The
 more open a government is with its citizenry,  the  greater  the  under-
 standing  and  participation  of the public in government. PEOPLE HAVE A
 RIGHT TO KNOW HOW GOVERNMENT OPERATES AND SPENDS MONEY.
   As state and local government services increase  and  public  problems
 become more sophisticated and complex and therefore harder to solve, and
 with  the  resultant increase in revenues and expenditures, it is incum-
 bent upon the state and its localities to extend  public  accountability
 wherever and whenever feasible.
   The people's right to know the process of governmental decision-making
 and  to review the documents and statistics leading to determinations is
 basic to our society. Access to such information should not be  thwarted
 by shrouding it with the cloak of secrecy or confidentiality.
   SINCE  THE  FREEDOM  OF INFORMATION LAW WAS FIRST ADOPTED, ADVANCES IN
 TECHNOLOGY HAVE ENHANCED THE  ABILITY  TO  GAIN  ACCESS  TO  AND  WIDELY
 DISSEMINATE  PUBLIC INFORMATION. ACCORDINGLY, THE LEGISLATURE FINDS THAT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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