Bill Text: NY A09135 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Assembly Bill 9135

Introduced

Bill Title: Requires members of a public body to complete a minimum of two hours of training on the state's open meetings law and freedom of information law; requires certain local, city, county, town and village public body members to complete such training as well.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-08 - referred to governmental operations [A09135 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09135-Introduced.html




                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9135

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 8, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. McMAHON, STECK -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Governmental Operations

        AN ACT to amend the  public  officers  law,  in  relation  to  requiring
          members  of  a  public body to complete a minimum level of training on
          the state's open meetings law and freedom of information law

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. The public officers law is amended by adding a new section
     2  79-a to read as follows:
     3    § 79-a. Public officers required training.   Each  local  officer,  as
     4  defined  by article one of this chapter, shall complete no less than two
     5  hours of training annually, on the requirements  of  the  open  meetings
     6  law, as established by article seven of this chapter, and the freedom of
     7  information  law,  as  established  by  article six of this chapter. All
     8  village clerks, town clerks, city clerks, legislative clerks to a county
     9  legislature or board of supervisors, village attorneys, town  attorneys,
    10  city  attorneys,  county  attorneys  or other designated attorneys for a
    11  public body, and all designated records access officers and FOIL  appeal
    12  officers  shall  be  required  to  complete such training. Such training
    13  shall be approved by the committee on open government established  under
    14  section  one  hundred  nine  of  this  chapter  and may include training
    15  provided by a state agency, statewide municipal association,  non-profit
    16  organization,  college,  or any other similar entity the committee deems
    17  necessary. Such training may  be  provided  in  a  variety  of  formats,
    18  including  but  not  limited  to, electronic media, distance learning or
    19  traditional classroom training.  On or before December  thirty-first  of
    20  each  year,  those  required  to  complete such training shall file with
    21  their designated records access officer proof of their attendance at any
    22  such training programs required by this section.
    23    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.


         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13545-02-3