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.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8793
IN SENATE
March 12, 2024
___________
Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- 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 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:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "access for all act (AFA)".
3 § 2. Section 103-a of the public officers law is amended by adding a
4 new subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
5 3-a. The in person participation requirements of this section shall
6 not apply to community boards in a city with a population of over one
7 million; provided, however, that notwithstanding the requirements set
8 forth in this section, such community boards shall not be required to
9 maintain a physical location for meetings; and provided further, howev-
10 er, that such community boards may, through written procedures governing
11 member and public attendance established pursuant to and consistent with
12 this section, allow for any member to be considered present for purposes
13 of fulfilling the quorum requirements of such public body at any meet-
14 ings conducted through videoconferencing, provided, however that the
15 remaining criteria set forth in this section are otherwise met.
16 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
17 the amendments to section 103-a of the public officers law made by
18 section two of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and
19 shall be deemed repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10850-08-3
