Requires that committee and floor votes be made available online and that session and committee meetings be webcast; listing shall include correspondence from the governor relating to legislation.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1887B
SPONSOR: Hevesi TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to
requiring that committee and floor votes be made available online and
that session and committee meetings be live webcast and archived
PURPOSE::
This legislation requires that committee and floor votes are made avail-
able online and that session and committee meetings are webcast.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section 1 adds a new section to 54-c of the Legislative law which
requires all committee and floor votes by the Senate and Assembly be
listed online within 24 hours of the vote on each houses' perspective
website. This listing will include the bill number, date of vote, the
summary of legislation from the legislative retrieval system, whether
such vote was on the floor or in a committee, and each member's vote
listed as aye, nay, excused, absent or abstain. It requires that every
committee meeting of the Legislature and every session shall be webcast
through the official website of each respective house.
Section 2 states the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION::
This legislation seeks to allow access to the proceedings and voting
records of committee and session activities conducted by both houses of
the State Legislature. Currently, many of the activities discussed in
this legislation are shared through webcasts. However, it is important
all the actions of the State Legislature are provided in a location that
is easily accessible to those represented by State Legislative Offi-
cials. The availability of this information will allow the interested
public to follow day to day activities of the State Legislature as well
as their elected representative's actions in Albany.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
A.2097C (2013-2014)
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This legislation will take effect on the 120th day after it shall have
become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1887--B
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --
recommitted to the Committee on Governmental Operations in accordance
with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to requiring that
committee and floor votes be made available online and that session
and committee meetings be live webcast and archived
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 54-b
2 to read as follows:
3 § 54-b. Committee and floor votes and committee meetings to be posted
4 online. 1. All votes taken on the floor of the senate or assembly or
5 votes taken in any committee of the legislature shall be listed on the
6 official website of the respective houses within twenty-four hours of
7 such vote, to the extent practicable. Such listing shall include the
8 bill number, date of vote, the summary of the legislation from the
9 legislative retrieval system, whether such vote was on the floor or in a
10 committee and each member's vote listed as aye, nay, excused, absent or
11 abstain. Such listing shall also include correspondence from the gover-
12 nor relating to legislation, such as messages of necessity and veto or
13 approval memoranda.
14 2. Every committee meeting and hearing of the legislature and every
15 session shall be live webcast and archived through the official website
16 of each respective house to the extent practicable.
17 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
18 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the obligation to
19 archive webcasts of committee meetings, hearings and sessions of the
20 legislature as provided in section one of this act shall only apply to
21 webcasts occurring on or after the effective date of this act.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04631-05-6
