What's happening
This bill expands press access to open government meetings, defines "professional journalist," and strengthens public notice and agenda posting requirements.
Why it matters
Defines who qualifies as a "professional journalist". for the purposes of press access, which could clarify who is entitled to attend open government meetings and potentially limit or expand access based on employment or professional affiliation.
Explicitly prohibits agencies and authorities from creating rules that restrict press access. to open meetings (except executive sessions), which may increase government transparency and accountability by ensuring consistent access for journalists.
Extends the required advance notice period for public meetings from 72 to 96 hours (or four business days, whichever is greater),. giving the public and media more time to prepare for and participate in government meetings.
Requires agencies to post draft agendas for public meetings on their websites at least 24 hours in advance,. which could help journalists and the public understand and engage with government proceedings more effectively, reducing last-minute surprises.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Guarantee Press in Public Meetings
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7379
IN SENATE
January 22, 2020
Introduced by Sen. MAY -- 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 providing press access to open meetings of an agency or authority
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 102 of the public officers law is amended by adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
4. "Professional journalist" means one who, for gain or livelihood, is engaged in gathering, preparing, collecting, writing, editing, filming, taping or photographing of news intended for a newspaper, magazine, news agency, press association or wire service or other professional medium or agency which has as one of its regular functions the processing and researching of news intended for dissemination to the public; such person shall be someone performing such function either as a regular employee or as one otherwise professionally affiliated for gain or livelihood with such medium of communication.
§ 2. The public officers law is amended by adding a new section 103-a to read as follows:
§ 103-a. Press access. Open meetings of an agency or authority, except for executive sessions as provided for in this article, shall be open and accessible to professional journalists and members of the press. No policies or rules may be adopted restricting such access.
§ 3. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 104 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 302 of the laws of 2016, are amended and a new subdivision 7 is added to read as follows:
1. Public notice of the time and place of a meeting scheduled at least one week prior thereto shall be given or electronically transmitted to the news media and local governments and shall be conspicuously posted in one or more designated public locations at least [seventy-two] ninety-six hours or four business days before such meeting, whichever is greater.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14677-01-0
S. 7379 2
2. Public notice of the time and place of every other meeting shall be given or electronically transmitted, to the extent practicable, to the news media and local governments and shall be conspicuously posted in one or more designated public locations at a reasonable time prior thereto.
7. A draft agenda for any public meeting shall be conspicuously posted to the agency's website no later than twenty-four hours before any meeting scheduled in accordance with subdivision one or two of this section.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
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 providing press access to open meetings of an agency or authority
Purpose
This bill establishes open access by press at all public meetings of agencies and authorities, requires that notice of such meetings be sent to local governments, and that draft agendas for all public meetings must be posted on agency websites no later than twenty-four hours before meetings.
Summary of provisions
The bill amends section 102 of the public officers law by adding a new subdivision 4 to define professional journalist in line with definitions found in New York's journalist shield laws. It adds a section 103-a to guarantee press access to open meetings of agencies and authorities. It amends subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 104 of the public officers law to require notice of public meetings be sent to local governments and that meetings scheduled at least one week prior to happening be publicly posted at least ninety-sex hours or four business days before such meet- ing. Lastly, it adds a new subdivision 7 requiring that draft meeting agendas be posted to agencies' websites no later than twenty-four hours before any scheduled open meetings.
Justification
The New York Open Meetings Law is critical to ensuring that state government is open and transparent to the public. It helps to guarantee that public meetings of agencies and government bodies are conducted in the open, with the public able to monitor and understand the conduct of their state officials. In order to expand the accessibility of these meetings, this legislation proposes three common sense amendments to the Open Meetings Law.
First, it will establish in law the right of professional journalists to attend duly constituted open meetings, except for executive sessions.
Second, it extends notice requirements for public meetings to four busi- ness days or ninety-six hours and includes local governments among those who must be notified of public meetings. Third, it requires that agen- cies post a draft agenda to their website for any scheduled open meet- ings no later than twenty-four hours before a meeting.
These three common sense reforms will greatly increase the ability of the public to stay informed, provide input, and to know the subjects of meetings with enough notice to engage constructively in the state's governing processes.
Legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications
Minimal
Effective date
30 days after enactment
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.