Bill Text: NY S02842 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes state agencies to publish and transmit certain rule making notices by electronic means; provides for the provision of the state register by electronic means; authorizes the legislative administrative regulations review commission to accept data transmitted by electronic means.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-11-20 - SIGNED CHAP.512 [S02842 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S02842-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2842 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 29, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sen. KAPLAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Devel- opment and Small Business AN ACT to amend the state administrative procedure act, the executive law and the legislative law, in relation to the transmittal of certain records by electronic means The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 202 of the state 2 administrative procedure act, as added by chapter 17 of the laws of 3 1984, is amended to read as follows: 4 (c) When appropriate in the judgment of the agency, a notice may also 5 be published in newspapers of general circulation and in trade, industry 6 or professional publications as the agency may select, and may be posted 7 on the agency's internet website, and may be transmitted to newspapers 8 and trade, industry or professional publications by electronic means in 9 accordance with article three of the state technology law. 10 § 2. Subdivision 6-a of section 202 of the state administrative proce- 11 dure act, as added by chapter 850 of the laws of 1990, paragraphs (a), 12 (b) and (c) as amended by chapter 295 of the laws of 2017, is amended to 13 read as follows: 14 6-a. Distribution of rule making information. (a) An agency shall 15 transmit a copy of any rule making notice prepared pursuant to this 16 article to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the 17 speaker of the assembly and the administrative regulations review 18 commission at the time such notice is submitted to the secretary of 19 state for publication in the state register. Such transmittal shall 20 include the complete rule text, regulatory impact statement, regulatory 21 flexibility analysis, rural area flexibility analysis, or revisions 22 thereof, and any other information submitted to the secretary of state 23 pursuant to this article. Furthermore, such transmittal may be completed EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD08953-01-9S. 2842 2 1 by electronic means in accordance with article three of the state tech- 2 nology law. 3 (b) An agency shall make a copy of the complete text of any proposed, 4 adopted or emergency rule, regulatory impact statement, regulatory flex- 5 ibility analysis, rural area flexibility analysis, or revisions thereof 6 available, in written or electronic forms, to the public at the time 7 such documents are submitted to the secretary of state for publication 8 in the state register and shall send to any person a copy of such text 9 upon written or electronic request. 10 (c) An agency shall notify every person who has submitted a written or 11 electronic request to be notified of all proposed, revised, emergency 12 and/or adopted rules which may affect such person. The agency may allow 13 requests for only the rules of particular divisions or programs within 14 the agency that are of interest to such person. Written requests shall 15 expire annually on the thirty-first day of December with renewals for 16 the succeeding year to be accepted on or after December first. Elec- 17 tronic requests shall not expire, but shall continue until the person 18 submits a request to discontinue such notification. Notices issued 19 pursuant to such requests shall be sent to the last address or electron- 20 ic mail address specified by the person. An agency may charge any person 21 requesting such notice a fee consisting of the cost of preparation, 22 handling and postage; provided, however, that no fee shall be charged 23 for electronic notices. As an alternative to sending a document elec- 24 tronically, an agency may identify the document and provide a link to 25 the section of its website containing the full text of such document. 26 § 3. The opening paragraph of subdivision 3 of section 202-bb of the 27 state administrative procedure act, as added by chapter 171 of the laws 28 of 1994, is amended to read as follows: 29 In proposing a rule for adoption or in adopting a rule on an emergency 30 basis, the agency shall issue a rural area flexibility analysis regard- 31 ing the rule being proposed for adoption or the emergency rule being 32 adopted. A copy of such analysis and any finding, and reasons for such 33 finding, pursuant to this section, shall be submitted in writing, and 34 may be transmitted electronically in accordance with article three of 35 the state technology law, to the governor, the temporary president of 36 the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the office for regulatory and 37 management assistance and the administrative regulations review commis- 38 sion at the time such analysis is submitted or electronically transmit- 39 ted to the secretary of state for publication and, upon written or elec- 40 tronic request, a copy shall be sent or electronically transmitted to 41 any other person. Each rural area flexibility analysis shall contain: 42 § 4. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 202-d of the state 43 administrative procedure act, as amended by chapter 418 of the laws of 44 2016, is amended to read as follows: 45 (a) The departments of health, education, environmental conservation, 46 financial services, labor, agriculture and markets, motor vehicles and 47 state, the offices of children and family services and temporary and 48 disability assistance, the division of housing and community renewal, 49 the state gaming commission, the office of mental health, the office for 50 people with developmental disabilities and the workers' compensation 51 board, and any other department or agency specified by the governor or 52 his or her designee shall, and any other agency may, in its discretion, 53 submit in writing or electronically in accordance with article three of 54 the state technology law to the secretary of state, for publication in 55 any regular issue of the state register published during the month of 56 January, a regulatory agenda to solicit comments concerning any ruleS. 2842 3 1 which the agency is considering to propose, but for which no notice of 2 proposed rule making has been submitted pursuant to subdivision one of 3 section two hundred two of this article. 4 § 5. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 202-d of the 5 state administrative procedure act, as added by chapter 698 of the laws 6 of 1984, is amended to read as follows: 7 An agency may, in its discretion, submit in writing or electronically 8 in accordance with article three of the state technology law to the 9 secretary of state, for publication in the first regular issue of the 10 state register published during the months of January, May and Septem- 11 ber, a regulatory agenda to afford the agency an opportunity to solicit 12 comments concerning any rule which the agency is considering proposing, 13 but for which no notice of proposed rule making has been submitted 14 pursuant to subdivision one of section two hundred two of this [chapter] 15 article. A regulatory agenda shall be comprised of summaries of such 16 rules. Each summary shall, in less than two thousand words, contain, in 17 so far as practicable: 18 § 6. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 101-a of the executive law, 19 subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 455 of the laws of 2017 and subdivi- 20 sion 3 as amended by chapter 483 of the laws of 1988, are amended to 21 read as follows: 22 2. Except as provided in subdivision three of this section, at least 23 sixty days prior to either the adoption of any rule, or, if a public 24 hearing is required by statute, at least sixty days prior to the first 25 public hearing on a proposed rule, the agency proposing to take such 26 action shall send in writing or may transmit electronically in accord- 27 ance with article three of the state technology law, a notification of 28 such proposed action to the temporary president of the senate and the 29 speaker of the assembly. This notification shall: (a) refer to the stat- 30 utory authority under which the action is proposed, (b) give the time 31 and place of any public hearing that may be scheduled concerning the 32 proposed action, or state the manner in which data, views or arguments 33 may be submitted to the agency concerning the proposed action, (c) 34 contain a copy of the complete text of the proposed rule, and (d) 35 contain a fiscal statement setting forth the fiscal consequences of the 36 proposed action on the state and its local governments. 37 3. If the agency finds that it is necessary for the preservation of 38 the public health, safety or general welfare to dispense with the 39 requirements of subdivision two of this section, the agency may dispense 40 with such requirements and adopt the rule, as an emergency measure. 41 Within five days of the filing of such emergency measure in the office 42 of the department of state, the agency taking such action shall send or 43 transmit, as the case may be, the temporary president of the senate and 44 the speaker of the assembly a notification containing the information 45 required by subdivision two of this section; provided, however, such 46 notification shall also: (a) include a brief statement setting forth the 47 reasons why the agency finds that it is necessary for the preservation 48 of the public health, safety or general welfare to dispense with the 49 requirements of subdivision two of this section and adopt the rule as an 50 emergency measure, and (b) provide the date the emergency measure will 51 terminate if the agency does not intend to adopt such measure as a 52 permanent rule, or indicate that the agency intends to adopt such meas- 53 ure as a permanent rule, in which case compliance with the notification 54 requirements of this section shall be deemed satisfied. The effective- 55 ness of any such emergency measure, unless adopted as a permanent rule 56 in the manner prescribed by law, shall not exceed ninety days after theS. 2842 4 1 filing of such measure in the office of the department of state, 2 provided, however, if such emergency measure is readopted prior to the 3 expiration of such ninety day period such readoption and any subsequent 4 readoptions shall remain in effect for no longer than sixty days. 5 § 7. Section 146 of the executive law, as amended by chapter 17 of the 6 laws of 1984, paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 189 7 of the laws of 1996, subdivision 4-a as amended by chapter 41 of the 8 laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows: 9 § 146. Publication of certain public notices. 1. The department of 10 state shall publish, pursuant to the schedule in section one hundred 11 forty-seven of this article, and post on its internet website a publica- 12 tion to be known as the state register, in which shall be published and 13 posted from time to time as received by such department: 14 (a) rules, orders, designations, and notices submitted by the chief 15 administrator of the courts; 16 (b) notices and advertisements required by state statute or federal 17 law, rule or regulation to be published by an agency in a newspaper; 18 (c) notices required by statute to be published in newspapers in 19 actions against foreign corporations; 20 (d) notices and job impact statements required by the state adminis- 21 trative procedure act to be published in the state register; and 22 (e) any other matter required by statute to be published in the state 23 register. 24 2. The secretary of state may, at his or her discretion, publish and 25 post in the state register any notice or information which is not other- 26 wise required by statute to be submitted to him or her by an agency or 27 public corporation for publication in the state register, in instances 28 where such publication and posting will serve the public interest. 29 3. With regard to rule making notices required to be published and 30 posted in the state register pursuant to article two of the state admin- 31 istrative procedure act, the secretary of state may, at his or her 32 discretion, publish and post the complete text of a proposed or adopted 33 rule, which is not otherwise required to be published and posted in the 34 state register, in instances where such publication and posting will 35 serve the public interest. The secretary of state shall accept from a 36 state agency all rulemaking notices, statements and analyses as required 37 by the state administrative procedure act, data, rules, and regulations 38 as provided for by article three of the state technology law. 39 4. With regard to a notice of adoption published in the state register 40 pursuant to article two of the state administrative procedure act, for 41 which the corresponding notice of proposed rule making published and 42 posted in the state register included the complete text of the rule, the 43 secretary of state may, at his or her discretion, include only the 44 changes in such text in the notice of adoption. 45 4-a. Notice of the availability of any state or federal funding which 46 is to be distributed by any agency upon application by any municipality, 47 school board, school district, not-for-profit organization or any other 48 individual or organization entitled to apply for such funding pursuant 49 to any law, rule or regulation governing the distribution of such funds 50 shall be published and posted in the state register. Such notice shall 51 appear in the register no later than forty-five days prior to the last 52 day for receipt of applications for such funding. Such notice shall not 53 be required: (i) whenever a notice has been published in the procurement 54 opportunities newsletter pursuant to article four-C of the economic 55 development law; (ii) for state or federal transportation funding; and 56 (iii) in those instances where an entity has been specifically desig-S. 2842 5 1 nated by law or legislative resolution to receive funding. Failure to 2 publish the notice in a timely manner shall not be a basis for setting 3 aside an award or challenging a contract or other legal claim. 4 5. The publication and posting of notices and advertisements in the 5 state register shall be additional to their publication in newspapers, 6 whenever publication in newspapers is required by statute. 7 6. The secretary of state shall promulgate rules establishing proce- 8 dure, forms, font and style for submission of material by any person, 9 agency or public corporation for publication and posting in the state 10 register. 11 § 8. Subdivision 3 of section 148 of the executive law, as amended by 12 chapter 636 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows: 13 3. Subscriptions to the state register shall be made available to the 14 public by either first or second class mail, or in electronic form at 15 the election of the subscriber. A reasonable rate for a subscription to 16 printed copies of the regular issue and quarterly index required by 17 subdivision three of section one hundred forty-seven of this article, to 18 be not more than eighty dollars per year for first class mail delivery 19 and not more than forty dollars per year for second class mail delivery, 20 shall be set by the secretary of state. The secretary of state may 21 charge no more than one dollar and fifty cents per single copy of a 22 printed regular issue or quarterly index of the state register. Rates 23 shall not be set at such a level that the anticipated total subscription 24 revenues exceed the total cost of producing, printing and distributing 25 the state register. 26 § 9. Subdivision 1 of section 149 of the executive law, as amended by 27 chapter 17 of the laws of 1984, is amended and a new subdivision 4 is 28 added to read as follows: 29 1. The printed version of the state register shall be an eight and 30 one-half by eleven inch booklet with three holes punched in the left 31 hand margin to make such register suitable for storage in an eight and 32 one-half by eleven inch loose-leaf binder. 33 4. To the extent practicable, every version of the state register 34 transmitted by electronic means shall substantially comply with the 35 provisions of this section. 36 § 10. Section 87 of the legislative law is amended by adding a new 37 subdivision 4 to read as follows: 38 4. The commission shall be authorized to request and receive, from a 39 state agency, all rulemaking notices, statements and analyses as 40 provided for pursuant to the state administrative procedure act, data, 41 rules, regulations and other information by electronic means as provided 42 for by article three of the state technology law. 43 § 11. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day 44 after it shall have become a law, provided that the amendments to para- 45 graph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 202-d of the state administrative 46 procedure act, made by section four of this act, shall be subject to the 47 expiration and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to section 2 of 48 chapter 402 of the laws of 1994, as amended, when upon such date the 49 provisions of section five of this act shall take effect; and provided, 50 further, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 51 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 52 this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made 53 and completed on or before such effective date.
