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Senate Bill S954

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to conducting meetings of public bodies via video conference technology

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

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2023-S954 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §103, Pub Off L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:
S6958

2023-S954 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Allows public bodies to conduct meetings via video conference technology as long as the public is given certain opportunities to view such video conference.

2023-S954 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S954 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    954
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- 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 conducting meet-
   ings of public bodies via video conference technology

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Subdivision (c) of section 103 of the public officers law,
 as amended by section 1 of part WW of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, is
 amended to read as follows:
   (c) (I) A public body shall provide an opportunity for the  public  to
 attend, listen and observe meetings in at least one physical location at
 which a member participates.
   (II)  NOTWITHSTANDING PARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, A PUBLIC BODY
 OF A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, AS   DEFINED   BY SECTION SIXTY-SIX  OF  THE
 GENERAL  CONSTRUCTION LAW, MAY CONDUCT A MEETING VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE IF
 SUCH PUBLIC BODY: (1) PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO  CONTEM-
 PORANEOUSLY  VIEW  AND  LISTEN TO SUCH MEETING ONLINE; (2) MAKES A VIDEO
 RECORDING OF SUCH MEETING; AND (3) POSTS SUCH VIDEO  RECORDING  ON  SUCH
 PUBLIC  BODY'S  WEBSITE  WITHIN  FIVE  BUSINESS DAYS OF SUCH MEETING. IN
 ADDITION, UPON REQUEST OF A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, SUCH PUBLIC BODY SHALL
 MAKE AVAILABLE A SPECIFIC  LOCATION  WITHIN  THE  JURISDICTION  OF  SUCH
 MUNICIPAL  CORPORATION FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW AND LISTEN TO SUCH MEETING
 ONLINE, PROVIDED SUCH REQUEST IS RECEIVED  AT   LEAST FORTY-EIGHT  HOURS
 PRIOR TO THE TIME SUCH MEETING IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN.
   §  2.  Subdivision  (c)  of section 103 of the public officers law, as
 added by chapter 289 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
   (c) (I) A public body that uses videoconferencing to conduct its meet-
 ings shall provide an opportunity for the public to attend,  listen  and
 observe [at any site at which a member participates].
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02567-01-3
 S. 954                              2

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