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Who cares
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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to records to be made available to the public
Purpose
To ensure that citizens of New York State, through the Freedom of Information Law, have access to government e-mail and text messages.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 -- Amends subdivision 4 of section 86 of the Public Officers Law to include e-mail or text messages in the definition of "record" for purposes of the Freedom of Information Law.
Section 2 -- Effective date.
Existing law
Subdivision 4 of section 86 of the Public Officers law does not currently include "e-mail" or "text messages" in the definition of "record" for purposes of the Freedom of Information Law.
Justification
The Freedom of Information Law originated in an era before cell phones, fax machines, personal computers and many other communication devices that are regularly used in today's workplaces. Because of technological advances and changes in office environments, we must frequently revisit FOIL and ensure that these developments are reflected by the statute.
This legislation attempts to move the Freedom of Information Law further into the 21st Century by applying the statute to e-mail and text messages. As anyone who works in an office knows, e-mail and text messages have become a popular form of professional communication. The authors of the original Freedom of Information Law, however, could not have envisioned these forms of communication. This bill continues our commitment to open, honest, and accountable government, and it will ensure that these forms of communication are accessible by the citizens of New York State.
Legislative history
S.6660-A of 2008 (Passed Senate)
Fiscal implications
None.
Local fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.