Relates to the retention of state records; repealer

Summary of provisions

Section 1 is the legislative intent.

Section 2 amends subdivision 3 of section 86 of the public officers law to include the legislature in provisions of the freedom of information law that apply to state agencies and to define archives for the purpose of this section.

Section 3 repeals subdivision 1 of section 88 of the public officers law, removing the role of the temporary president of the Senate and speaker of the Assembly in setting rules for access to legislative records.

Section 4 adds a new section 88-a to the public officers law requiring agencies, in conjunction with the state archives, to preserve electronic records. Records for policy makers as defined by section 73-a of the public officers law will be required to be retained by the agency for not less than fifteen years before transfer to the archives for permanent retention. Records of other state employees will be required to be retained by the agency for not less than seven years before transfer to the state archives which will determine what records should be retained by the archive. Establishes standards for the production, cataloging and format of electronic records. Establishes rules for challenging failure to comply with these requirements, including a right of private action.

Section 5 amends subdivision 2 of section 89 of the public officers law to protect the privacy of individual constituents who seek a legislator's assistance with personal matters.

Section 6 amends section 57.06 of the arts and cultural affairs law to require the state archive establish a protocol for preservation of electronic records consistent with this law.

Section 7 repeals section 5 of the executive law removing the role of the governor in setting rules for handling executive records.

Section 8 amends subdivision 3 of section 713 of the executive law to update cross-references to public officers law.

Section 9 adds a new section 33-a to the legislative law subjecting legislative employees to article six of the public officers law.

Section 10 repeals section 70-0113 of the environmental conservation law, removing reference to separate handling of legislative records under the freedom of information law.

Section 11 is the effective date.

Justification

Procedures and practice that promote transparency and accountability in the executive and legislative branches serve the public interest and encourage public faith in government. Current policies which allow for the destruction of emails and other electronic governmental records and exempt the legislature from the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) run counter to these principles of transparency and accountability.

Computers and other electronic devices create many of the new records we use today, most commonly via emails. These records, although electronic in format, are the same as records in other formats. Electronic records show how you conduct business, make decisions, and carry out your work. They are evidence of decisions and actions. Fundamental records management principles should apply to electronic records, as they apply to other record formats.

The executive branch has adopted a policy allowing automatic deletion of emails after 90 days, which has the potential to severely limit the public availability of vital information regarding the operations of agencies. The consequences of such a policy are illustrated in a 2015 court case where the former Deputy Secretary for Gaming and Racing indicated he was "aghast" to find that emails dating from 2013 relevant to the litigation matter had been deleted. The deletion of these emails undermines the ability of the plaintiff in the case to seek a full redress of the issues. An administration spokesman defended deletion of the emails on the grounds they had not been the subject of a FOIL request.

This legislation would ensure that under the guidance of the State Archives, agencies and legislative bodies would need to take a proactive approach to the preservation of electronic records. It would establish strict standards for permanent preservation of the records of policymakers, and prohibit deletion of emails from other government officials for at least seven years. It is modeled on federal policies adopted after extensive study of appropriate practices for handling electronic records. The state already uses email management software that would enable implementation of such a policy at minimal cost.

The exemption of the legislature from the Freedom of Information Law also undermines transparency and accountability. The public should have full access to the same types of information from the legislature that it can already access from the Executive Branch through the FOIL process. Recent scandals involving individual legislators only

highlight the need for increasing the availability of information regarding legislative records. This bill would establish the same standards for treating the Executive and Legislative branches under FOIL. The bill would also extend to the legislature the various exemptions from disclosure in the FOIL law, including records that would compromise personal privacy rights or that are related to internal deliberations of the body or agency.

Legislative history

New bill

Fiscal implications

To be determined

Effective date

One hundred and twenty days after becoming law.