What's happening
This bill requires all New York municipal governments to maintain official, regularly updated public websites with key information and documents.
Why it matters
Expands public access and transparency. By requiring municipal websites to post meeting minutes, agendas, election notices, and local laws, the bill ensures residents can more easily stay informed and engaged with local government actions and policies.
Mandates regular updates and standardized information. The law compels municipalities to regularly update their sites with key documents like financial reports, audits, and budgets, making it harder for local governments to withhold or delay crucial information from the public.
Promotes digital equity and accountability. All municipalities, regardless of size, must maintain a public web presence, potentially closing gaps where smaller towns may have lacked accessible information, and holding all local governments to consistent transparency standards.
Requires privacy transparency. By obligating municipalities to clearly state what data they collect from website visitors and how it’s used, the bill addresses digital privacy concerns and informs citizens about the handling of their personal information when accessing government services online.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require City Websites
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to local governments
- Referred to local governments
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1513
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, GALEF, SKOUFIS, GOTTFRIED, JAFFEE, KEARNS, STIRPE, STECK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to requiring municipalities to maintain municipal websites
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new article 13-E to read as follows:
ARTICLE 13-E
MUNICIPAL WEBSITES Section 300. Municipal websites.
§ 300. Municipal websites. 1. All municipal corporations shall maintain an official website accessible to the public. The official website shall contain basic information on the municipality including but not limited to hours of operations, elected officials and services provided. The website should contain an easily understood privacy policy that informs website visitors of any information that is being collected and how it is being used.
2. Official municipal websites should be updated on a regular basis and contain the following information:
a. all documents required by section thirty of this chapter;
b. notice of all municipal elections, public hearings and public meetings including regular board or legislative meetings;
c. agenda and minutes of municipal meetings as required by article seven of the public officers law; and
d. updated version of the municipality's code or laws.
§ 2. Subdivision 7 of section 30 of the general municipal law, as added by section 10 of part O of chapter 56 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04337-01-7
A. 1513 2
7. [To the extent practicable, each] Each municipal corporation shall make accessible [to the public via its official internet web site] on its official municipal website documentation pertaining to its most recent annual financial reports, current year budget, most recent independent audit report and most recent fiscal performance plan or multiyear financial plan required pursuant to paragraph g of subdivision ten of section fifty-four of the state finance law, unless such information is covered by subdivision two of section eighty-seven of the public officers law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.