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Assembly Bill A1256

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Removes the requirement for in person attendance at public meetings by community boards in N.Y. city

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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2025-A1256 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S6768
Current Committee:
Assembly Governmental Operations
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §103-a, Pub Off L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A8049, S8793

2025-A1256 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "access for all act" removing the requirement for in person attendance at public meetings by community boards in a city with a population of over one million.

2025-A1256 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1256
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. BORES, GIBBS -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in  relation  to  removing  the
   requirement  for  in  person  attendance at public meetings by certain
   community boards

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "access for all act (AFA)".
   §  2.  Section 103-a of the public officers law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
   3-A. THE IN PERSON PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS OF  THIS  SECTION  SHALL
 NOT  APPLY  TO  COMMUNITY BOARDS IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF OVER ONE
 MILLION; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT NOTWITHSTANDING  THE  REQUIREMENTS  SET
 FORTH  IN  THIS  SECTION, SUCH COMMUNITY BOARDS SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO
 MAINTAIN A PHYSICAL LOCATION FOR MEETINGS; AND PROVIDED FURTHER,  HOWEV-
 ER, THAT SUCH COMMUNITY BOARDS MAY, THROUGH WRITTEN PROCEDURES GOVERNING
 MEMBER AND PUBLIC ATTENDANCE ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO AND CONSISTENT WITH
 THIS SECTION, ALLOW FOR ANY MEMBER TO BE CONSIDERED PRESENT FOR PURPOSES
 OF  FULFILLING  THE QUORUM REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH PUBLIC BODY AT ANY MEET-
 INGS CONDUCTED THROUGH VIDEOCONFERENCING,  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER  THAT  THE
 REMAINING CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION ARE OTHERWISE MET.
   §  3.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
 the amendments to section 103-a of  the  public  officers  law  made  by
 section  two of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and
 shall be deemed repealed therewith.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02272-01-5

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