Bill Text: NY S07623 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Extends provisions of law authorizing political subdivisions to permit any public body to hold meetings remotely and without in-person access during the COVID-19 state disaster emergency.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-11 - SUBSTITUTED BY A8591 [S07623 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S07623-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         7623--A

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    December 22, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sens. GAUGHRAN, HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and  when  printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- recom-
          mitted to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations in
          accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --  committee  discharged,  bill
          amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
          tee

        AN ACT to amend chapter 417 of the laws of 2021 relating to  authorizing
          political  subdivisions  to  permit  any  public body to hold meetings
          remotely and without in-person access during the COVID-19 state disas-
          ter emergency, in relation to public bodies holding meetings  remotely
          and to the effectiveness thereof

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

     1    Section 1. Sections 1 and 2 of part E of chapter 417 of  the  laws  of
     2  2021 relating to authorizing political subdivisions to permit any public
     3  body  to  hold meetings remotely and without in-person access during the
     4  COVID-19 state disaster emergency, are amended to read as follows:
     5    Section 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of article 7 of  the  public
     6  officers  law  to  the  contrary,  any [state agency, department, corpo-
     7  ration, office, authority, board, or commission] public body,  as  [well
     8  as any local public body] defined pursuant to section one hundred two of
     9  the public officers law, [or public corporation as defined in section 66
    10  of the general construction law, or political subdivisions as defined in
    11  section 100 of the general municipal law, or a committee or subcommittee
    12  or  other  similar body of such entity,] shall be authorized to meet and
    13  take such action authorized by law without permitting in public  in-per-
    14  son  access  to meetings and authorize such meetings to be held remotely
    15  by conference call or similar service, provided that the public has  the
    16  ability  to view or listen to such proceeding and that such meetings are
    17  recorded and later transcribed. ["Local  public  body"  shall  mean  any
    18  entity  for  which a quorum is required in order to conduct public busi-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14074-03-2
        S. 7623--A                          2

     1  ness and which consists of two or more  members,  performing  a  govern-
     2  mental  function  for an entity limited in the execution of its official
     3  functions to a portion only of the state, or a political subdivision  of
     4  the state, or for an agency or department thereof.]
     5    §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
     6  deemed repealed [January 15, 2022] upon the expiration or termination of
     7  the state disaster emergency declared pursuant to executive order 11  of
     8  2021  or  any  extension  or  modification  thereof; provided that   the
     9  commissioner of  health  shall  notify  the  legislative  bill  drafting
    10  commission  upon the occurrence of the expiration or termination of such
    11  executive order in order that the commission may  maintain  an  accurate
    12  and  timely  effective  database of the official text of the laws of the
    13  state of New York in  furtherance  of  effectuating  the  provisions  of
    14  section  44  of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public offi-
    15  cers law.
    16    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.