What's happening
This bill expands the definition of "public body" under New York's open meetings law to include advisory committees, working groups, and wholly owned subsidiaries.
Why it matters
Expanding the definition of “public body” means more government-related groups—such as advisory committees, working groups, and subsidiaries—must now comply with open meetings requirements, increasing transparency around their activities.
Decision-making and discussions that previously occurred behind closed doors within these newly included bodies will now be subject to public oversight, allowing citizens to better track the influences and recommendations shaping public policy.
Entities like wholly owned subsidiaries, which can control significant public resources or operations, will no longer be able to avoid public meeting requirements, closing a loophole that could previously shield important decisions from public scrutiny.
Albany, before your first meeting.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Open Meetings Definition
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6344
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 11, 2017
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to the definition of a public body pursuant to the open meetings law
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 102 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 704 of the laws of 1979 and such section as renumbered by chapter 652 of the laws of 1983, is amended to read as follows:
2. "Public body" means any entity, for which a quorum is required in order to conduct public business and which consists of two or more members, performing a governmental function for the state or for an agency or department thereof, or for a public corporation as defined in section sixty-six of the general construction law, or committee or subcommittee or advisory committee or working group or wholly owned subsidiary or other similar body of such public body.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09338-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to the definition of a public body pursuant to the open meetings law
Purpose
To require advisory committees, working groups and wholly owned subsidiaries of public bodies to follow the open meetings law and make their deliberations public.
Summary of provisions
Section 102 of the public officers law subdivision 2 "public body" will now include "advisory committee or working group or wholly owned subsidiary" or other such similar body of such public body will now be subject to the requirements of the open meetings law.
Justification
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy once explained that, "The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings." Allowing public corporations to circumvent accountability, transparency and openness to the public and the people by creating subcommittees, advisory committees, working groups or wholly owned subsidiaries, is antithetical to the democratic process.
The people are not to be feared and, we certainly should not be suspicious of their motives or viewpoints, which will only enrich the deliberations, and meetings of public bodies.
Legislative history
Referred to Government Operations 1-6-16
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.