Bill Text: NY A05601 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires entities that submit records to state agencies that are excepted from disclosure under FOIL to periodically re-apply for the exception.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-03-14 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS [A05601 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-A05601-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 5601 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y February 23, 2011 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DESTITO -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to requiring enti- ties that submit records to state agencies that are excepted from disclosure under the freedom of information law to periodically re-ap- ply for the exception THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 89 of the public officers law, as 2 added by chapter 890 of the laws of 1981, paragraph (a) as amended by 3 chapter 403 of the laws of 2003, paragraph (d) as amended by chapter 339 4 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows: 5 5. (a) (1) A person acting pursuant to law or regulation who, subse- 6 quent to the effective date of this subdivision, submits any information 7 to any state agency may, at the time of submission, request that the 8 agency except, FOR A DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME, such information from 9 disclosure under paragraph (d) of subdivision two of section eighty-sev- 10 en of this article. Where the request itself contains information which 11 if disclosed would defeat the purpose for which the exception is sought, 12 such information shall also be excepted from disclosure FOR A DEFINED 13 PERIOD OF TIME. 14 (1-a) A person or entity who submits or otherwise makes available any 15 records to any agency, may, at any time, identify those records or 16 portions thereof that may contain critical infrastructure information, 17 and request that the agency that maintains such records except, FOR A 18 DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME, such information from disclosure under subdivi- 19 sion two of section eighty-seven of this article. Where the request 20 itself contains information which if disclosed would defeat the purpose 21 for which the exception is sought, such information shall also be 22 excepted from disclosure FOR A DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME. EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09798-01-1 A. 5601 2 1 (2) (I) The request for an exception shall be in writing, SHALL 2 SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY WHICH PORTIONS OF THE RECORD ARE THE SUBJECT OF 3 THE REQUEST FOR EXCEPTION and state the reasons why the information 4 should be excepted, FOR A DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME, from disclosure. THE 5 SUBMITTER MAY ALSO PROVIDE A DATE BY WHICH SUCH EXCEPTION SHALL EXPIRE, 6 PROVIDED THAT SUCH DATE SHALL NOT EXCEED THREE YEARS FROM THE TIME OF 7 THE AGENCY'S RECEIPT OF THE REQUEST FOR AN EXCEPTION. 8 (II) ANY SUCH REQUEST FOR AN EXCEPTION SHALL BE EFFECTIVE FOR A 9 THREE-YEAR PERIOD FROM THE AGENCY'S RECEIPT THEREOF. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, 10 THAT NOT LESS THAN SIXTY DAYS PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE THEN 11 CURRENT TERM OF THE EXCEPTION REQUEST, THE SUBMITTER MAY APPLY TO THE 12 AGENCY FOR A THREE-YEAR EXTENSION OF ITS EXCEPTION REQUEST. UPON TIMELY 13 RECEIPT OF A REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF AN EXCEPTION REQUEST, AN AGENCY 14 SHALL REVIEW THE APPLICATION AND EITHER GRANT OR DENY THE EXTENSION 15 REQUEST. A DENIAL OF AN EXTENSION REQUEST MAY BE APPEALED BY THE SUBMIT- 16 TER PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION. IF THE SUBMITTER 17 FAILS TO APPLY FOR AN EXTENSION, THE EXCEPTION SHALL BE CONSIDERED TO 18 HAVE EXPIRED. 19 (3) Information submitted as provided in subparagraphs one and one-a 20 of this paragraph shall be excepted from disclosure FOR A DEFINED PERIOD 21 OF TIME and be maintained apart by the agency from all other records 22 until THE EXPIRATION OF THE SUBMITTER'S EXCEPTION REQUEST OR fifteen 23 days after the entitlement to such exception has been finally determined 24 or such further time as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction. 25 (b) [On] DURING THE EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF AN EXCEPTION REQUEST UNDER 26 THIS SUBDIVISION, ON the initiative of the agency at any time, or upon 27 the request of any person for a record excepted from disclosure pursuant 28 to this subdivision, the agency shall: 29 (1) inform the person who requested the exception of the agency's 30 intention to determine whether such exception should be granted or 31 continued; 32 (2) permit the person who requested the exception, within ten business 33 days of receipt of notification from the agency, to submit a written 34 statement of the necessity for the granting or continuation of such 35 exception; 36 (3) within seven business days of receipt of such written statement, 37 or within seven business days of the expiration of the period prescribed 38 for submission of such statement, issue a written determination grant- 39 ing, continuing or terminating such exception and stating the reasons 40 therefor; copies of such determination shall be served upon the person, 41 if any, requesting the record, the person who requested the exception, 42 and the committee on [public access to records] OPEN GOVERNMENT. 43 (c) A denial of an exception from disclosure under paragraph (b) of 44 this subdivision may be appealed by the person submitting the informa- 45 tion and a denial of access to the record may be appealed by the person 46 requesting the record in accordance with this subdivision: 47 (1) Within seven business days of receipt of written notice denying 48 the request, the person may file a written appeal from the determination 49 of the agency with the head of the agency, the chief executive officer 50 or governing body or their designated representatives. 51 (2) The appeal shall be determined within ten business days of the 52 receipt of the appeal. Written notice of the determination shall be 53 served upon the person, if any, requesting the record, the person who 54 requested the exception and the committee on [public access to records] 55 OPEN GOVERNMENT. The notice shall contain a statement of the reasons 56 for the determination. A. 5601 3 1 (d) A proceeding to review an adverse determination pursuant to para- 2 graph (c) of this subdivision may be commenced pursuant to article 3 seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules. Such proceeding, when 4 brought by a person seeking an exception from disclosure pursuant to 5 this subdivision, must be commenced within fifteen days of the service 6 of the written notice containing the adverse determination provided for 7 in subparagraph two of paragraph (c) of this subdivision. 8 (e) The person requesting an exception from disclosure pursuant to 9 this subdivision shall in all proceedings have the burden of proving 10 entitlement to the exception. 11 (f) Where the agency denies access to a record pursuant to paragraph 12 [(d) of] (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION IN CONJUNCTION WITH subdivision two of 13 section eighty-seven of this article, the agency shall have the burden 14 of proving that the record falls within the provisions of such excep- 15 tion. 16 (g) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to deny any person 17 access, pursuant to the remaining provisions of this article, to any 18 record or part excepted from disclosure upon the express written consent 19 of the person who had requested the exception. 20 (h) As used in this subdivision the term "agency" or "state agency" 21 means only a state department, board, bureau, division, council or 22 office and any public corporation the majority of whose members are 23 appointed by the governor. 24 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.