A05632 Summary:

BILL NOA05632
 
SAME ASSAME AS S04235
 
SPONSORWeinstein (MS)
 
COSPNSRSimotas, Dinowitz, Glick, Nolan, Cahill, Taylor
 
MLTSPNSRBarron, Cymbrowitz, D'Urso, Englebright, Galef, Gottfried, Jaffee, Lupardo, Magnarelli, Niou, Simon
 
Amd §3103, add Art 31-A §§3141 - 3143, CPLR
 
Enacts the "sunshine in litigation act" regarding protective orders.
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A05632 Actions:

BILL NOA05632
 
02/14/2019referred to judiciary
01/08/2020referred to judiciary
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A05632 Committee Votes:

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A05632 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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A05632 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          5632
 
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 14, 2019
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  WEINSTEIN,  SIMOTAS, DINOWITZ, GLICK, NOLAN,
          CAHILL, TAYLOR -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.  BARRON,  CYMBROWITZ,
          D'URSO,  ENGLEBRIGHT,  GALEF,  GOTTFRIED, JAFFEE, LUPARDO, MAGNARELLI,
          NIOU, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary
 
        AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to  enact-
          ing the "sunshine in litigation act" regarding protective orders
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 3103 of the civil  practice  law
     2  and  rules, as amended by chapter 205 of the laws of 2013, is amended to
     3  read as follows:
     4    (a) Prevention of abuse. [The] Subject to the  provisions  of  section
     5  thirty-one  hundred  forty-three  of  this chapter, the court may at any
     6  time on its own initiative, or on motion of any party or of  any  person
     7  from  whom  or  about  whom discovery is sought, make a protective order
     8  denying, limiting, conditioning or regulating the use of any  disclosure
     9  device.  Such order shall be designed to prevent unreasonable annoyance,
    10  expense, embarrassment, disadvantage, or other prejudice to  any  person
    11  or the courts.
    12    § 2. The civil practice law and rules is amended by adding a new arti-
    13  cle 31-A to read as follows:
    14                                ARTICLE 31-A
    15                         SUNSHINE IN LITIGATION ACT
    16  Section 3141. Short title.
    17          3142. Definitions.
    18          3143. Sunshine  in  litigation;  concealment  of  public hazards
    19                  prohibited.
    20    § 3141. Short title. This article shall be known and may be  cited  as
    21  the "sunshine in litigation act".
    22    §  3142.  Definitions.  When used in this article, unless otherwise so
    23  stated, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00877-01-9

        A. 5632                             2
 
     1    (a) Governmental entity. "Governmental entity" shall  mean  the  state
     2  and  any  county, city, town, village or any other political subdivision
     3  of the state,  and  every  department,  board,  bureau,  agency,  public
     4  authority  or other governmental instrumentality of the state or a poli-
     5  tical subdivision of the state.
     6    (b)  Public  hazard.  "Public  hazard" shall mean any condition of any
     7  device, instrument, person, procedure,  product  or  property  that  has
     8  caused  injury  to  the  person or property of another, or which, unless
     9  altered, removed, reassembled or changed in some manner, creates a  risk
    10  of injury to person or property in the future.
    11    (c)  Trade secret. "Trade secret" shall mean information, technical or
    12  non-technical, including, but not limited to, a formula, pattern, compi-
    13  lation, program, device, method, technique or process that:
    14    1. derives independent economic value, actual or potential,  from  not
    15  being  generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper
    16  means, by other persons who can obtain economic value from  its  disclo-
    17  sure or use; and
    18    2.  is  the  subject  of efforts that are reasonable under the circum-
    19  stances to maintain its secrecy.
    20    § 3143. Sunshine in litigation; concealment of public hazards  prohib-
    21  ited.  (a)  Except  in  strict  compliance  with  the provisions of this
    22  section, no court shall enter, order or render a judgment in any  action
    23  or  proceeding  brought in this state which has the purpose or effect of
    24  concealing a public hazard or concealing any pertinent information  that
    25  would  identify  a  public hazard, nor shall the court enter an order or
    26  render a judgment which has the purpose  or  effect  of  concealing  any
    27  information  that  may  be useful to members of the public in protecting
    28  their person or property from damage or  injury  that  may  result  from
    29  contact with a public hazard.
    30    (b)  Trade  secrets  which  are not directly related to public hazards
    31  shall be protected and not ordered to  be  released.  In  addition,  the
    32  provisions  of this section shall not apply to other information that is
    33  confidential because it is privileged under any provision  of  state  or
    34  federal law.
    35    (c)  Any  provision  of  any agreement or contract entered into within
    36  this state or pertaining to persons or property within this state, which
    37  has the purpose or effect of concealing a public  hazard  or  concealing
    38  any  information  that would identify a public hazard, which information
    39  may be useful to members of the public in  protecting  their  person  or
    40  property  from  damage  or  injury  resulting from contact with a public
    41  hazard, is hereby declared to be void and contrary to public policy, and
    42  shall not be enforced by the courts of this state, or otherwise.
    43    (d) Any substantially affected person or representative of the  estate
    44  of  such  person,  including  but not limited to a representative of the
    45  news media, shall be deemed to have  standing  to  bring  an  action  or
    46  proceeding  in  a  court  of competent jurisdiction to contest an order,
    47  judgment, agreement or contract on the  grounds  that  it  violates  the
    48  provisions  of  this  section requiring disclosure of the existence of a
    49  public hazard. Such person may contest such an order,  judgment,  agree-
    50  ment  or  contract  by  motion brought before the court that entered the
    51  order or judgment.
    52    (e) Upon motion and good cause shown by a party attempting to  prevent
    53  release  of  information or materials allegedly concealing the existence
    54  of a public hazard, including but not limited to disputes  wherein  such
    55  information  is alleged to be a trade secret protected by law, the court
    56  shall examine the disputed information or materials in  camera.  If  the

        A. 5632                             3
 
     1  court  determines that the information or materials or portions  thereof
     2  consist of information concerning a public hazard  or  information  that
     3  may  be  useful  to  members of the public in protecting themselves from
     4  injury  to  person  or property that may result from contact with such a
     5  public hazard, the court shall order release of the information or mate-
     6  rials. If such release is ordered, the court shall allow release of only
     7  that portion of the information or materials necessary or useful to  the
     8  public  in identifying the public hazard, and in protecting their person
     9  or property from damage or injury that may result from contact with  the
    10  public hazard.
    11    (f)  Any  provision  of  any agreement or contract entered into within
    12  this state, or pertaining to persons or property within this state, that
    13  has the purpose or effect of  concealing  information  relating  to  the
    14  settlement or resolution of any claim or action against any governmental
    15  entity  and  that  may  be useful to members of the public in protecting
    16  their person or property from damage or  injury  that  may  result  from
    17  contact  with a public hazard is hereby declared to be void and contrary
    18  to public policy, and shall not be enforced by the courts of this state,
    19  or otherwise. Any document, record, contract or  agreement  relating  to
    20  any  settlement,  as  set  forth  in this subdivision, shall be deemed a
    21  public record subject to disclosure  pursuant  to  article  six  of  the
    22  public officers law. The failure or refusal of any party to an action or
    23  proceeding, or other person in custody of such a record, to disclose and
    24  provide any document, record, contract or agreement as set forth in this
    25  subdivision  shall  be  subject to the sanctions as set forth in article
    26  six of the public officers law, pursuant to the applicable law or rule.
    27    § 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    28  have become a law.
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