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S01253 Summary:

BILL NOS01253
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORMAY
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd §§102 & 104, add §103-b, Pub Off L
 
Provides press access to open meetings of an agency or authority; requires notice of such meetings to local governments.
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S01253 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          1253
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                    January 11, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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 providing  press
          access to open meetings of an agency or authority

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 102 of the public officers law is amended by adding
     2  a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
     3    4. "Professional journalist" means a person who, for gain  or  liveli-
     4  hood,  is engaged in gathering, preparing, collecting, writing, editing,
     5  filming, taping or photographing of news intended for a newspaper, maga-
     6  zine, news agency, press association or wire service  or  other  profes-
     7  sional  medium  or  agency which has as one of its regular functions the
     8  processing and researching of news intended  for  dissemination  to  the
     9  public;  such person shall be someone performing such function either as
    10  a regular employee or as one  otherwise  professionally  affiliated  for
    11  gain or livelihood with such medium of communication.
    12    §  2. The public officers law is amended by adding a new section 103-b
    13  to read as follows:
    14    § 103-b. Press access. Open meetings of an agency or authority, except
    15  for executive sessions as provided for in this article,  shall  be  open
    16  and  accessible to professional journalists and members of the press. No
    17  policies or rules shall be adopted restricting such access.
    18    § 3. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 104 of the public  officers  law,
    19  as  amended  by  chapter  302 of the laws of 2016, are amended and a new
    20  subdivision 7 is added to read as follows:
    21    1. Public notice of the time and place of a meeting scheduled at least
    22  one week prior thereto shall be given or electronically  transmitted  to
    23  the  news  media and local governments and shall be conspicuously posted
    24  in one or more designated public locations at least [seventy-two]  nine-
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00221-01-3

        S. 1253                             2
 
     1  ty-six  hours  or  four  business days before such meeting, whichever is
     2  greater.
     3    2. Public notice of the time and place of every other meeting shall be
     4  given  or  electronically transmitted, to the extent practicable, to the
     5  news media and local governments and shall be  conspicuously  posted  in
     6  one or more designated public locations at a reasonable time prior ther-
     7  eto.
     8    7. A draft agenda for any public meeting shall be conspicuously posted
     9  to the agency's website no later than twenty-four hours before any meet-
    10  ing scheduled in accordance with subdivision one or two of this section.
    11    §  4.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
    12  have become a law.
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