NY State Senate Bill 2015-S5010

Senate Bill S5010

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Provides that each state agency that maintains a website shall ensure its website provides for online submission of requests for records subject to FOIL

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations 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
Jan 06, 2016	referred to investigations and government operations
Apr 28, 2015	referred to investigations and government operations

2015-S5010 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5768
Current Committee:: Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:: Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §89, Pub Off L
Versions Introduced in 2017-2018 Legislative Session:: S7431, A2131

2015-S5010 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that each state agency that maintains a website shall ensure its website provides for online submission of requests for records subject to FOIL.

2015-S5010 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S5010

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the public officers law, in relation
to allowing the public to submit requests for access to the records of
a state agency by use of an online form

PURPOSE OF BILL:

This bill would promote open government by requiring state agency
websites to provide for the online submission of requests for public
access to records.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

§ 1 adds a new paragraph (c) to subdivision 3 of § 89 of the Public
Officers Law to require that each state agency (as defined in
subdivision five of § 89) that maintains a website shall ensure that
such website provides for the online submission of a request for
records pursuant to this article.

EFFECTS OF PRESENT LAW WHICH THIS BILL WOULD ALTER:

The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) currently requires agencies to
accept e-mail requests for records, but has no requirement to provide
an online FOIL request form.

JUSTIFICATION:

Online forms for FOIL requests have been identified as a useful best
practice for New York State agencies by organizations promoting
government transparency  Some agencies already feature such forms on
their websites. FOIL provides that agency records are presumptively
available to the public, but the failure to keep up with technological
advances can create roadblocks to such access.  Provision of an online
FOIL request form is a low-cost, high-impact means of increasing the
accessibility of information to the public in an efficient and
convenient manner,

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

2015-S5010 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  5010

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             April 28, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  MARCELLINO  -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Investigations  and
  Government Operations

AN  ACT  to  amend  the public officers law, in relation to allowing the
  public to submit requests for access to the records of a state  agency
  by use of an online form

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

  Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 89 of the public officers  law  is
amended by adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:
  (C)  EACH  STATE AGENCY AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION
THAT MAINTAINS A WEBSITE SHALL  ENSURE  ITS  WEBSITE  PROVIDES  FOR  THE
ONLINE SUBMISSION OF A REQUEST FOR RECORDS PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
  S  2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.






 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD09750-01-5

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