Senate Bill S4475

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4475

SPONSOR: ADDABBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to requiring public
bodies to post video recordings of open meetings

 
PURPOSE:

To require public bodies to post recordings of open meetings in a timely
manner and to require them to maintain such recordings for at least five
years.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision f of section 103 of the public officers law
to provide that open meetings of a public body shall be, to the extent
practicable and within available funds, broadcast to the public and
maintained as records of the public body. If the public body maintains a
website and utilizes a high speed internet connection, such open meeting
shall be, to the extent practicable and within available funds, streamed
              

on or available through such website in real-time, and video recordings
of such open meeting shall be posted on such website within five busi-
ness days of the meeting and for a reasonable time after the meeting and
such recordings shall be maintained for a period of not less than five
years.

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Subdivision f of section 103 of the Public Officers Law includes
provisions related to transparency and affording the public access to
the broadcasting of open meetings.

This bill would require public bodies that maintain a website and
utilize a high speed internet connection to post a video recording of
open meetings on their site within five business days of such meeting.
Also, public bodies would need to keep these recordings for at least
five years. Currently, there is no deadline in the law as to how quickly
such meetings must be posted, nor a set time frame that such recordings
must be kept. They must simply be posted "within and for a reasonable
time" following a meeting. Since COVID-19 has hindered the ability of
the public to attend open meetings in person, we must be sure to give
opportunity for those who wish to view meetings to have ample access to
such records in a timely manner.  Also, public bodies are now streaming
meetings, as has become the norm for so many during this time, so it is
reasonable to impose these requirements.

The bill also amends subdivision f of section 103 of the Public Officers
Law by replacing the terms "agency or authority" with "public body."
This will broaden applicability and ensure that more entities are
subject to the requirements set out in this bill. Also, replacing the
terms "agency or authority" with "public body" will allow for uniform-
ity, since the other subdivisions in this section of law, which relate
to the functioning of open meetings and making relevant records avail-
able to the public, apply to public bodies.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021/22; S. 7305; Referred to Investigations & Government Operations

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.