From: neale@ee.rochester.edu Here is the text of a bill currently before New York's Assembly. It makes public legislative information widely available via "the most-accessible, least-cost electronic network available," i.e., the Internet. Please feel free to post this in whatever archives and areas you feel would be most appropriate for exposure to potential activists and anyone who might wish to help work for passage of this bill. Its current status is that it has been referred to the Assembly's Governmental Operations Committee. Its chances for passage are dim to non-existent unlesss there is massive input from the public. Contact info available from Reginald Neale, Secretary, Citizens for Open Access to Legislation, this eaddrs or 716-924-7481. NEW YORK 215TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY -- SECOND REGULAR SESSION ASSEMBLY BILL 10035 STATE OF NEW YORK 10035 IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 1, 1994 1993 NY A.B. 10035 VERSION: Introduced VERSION-DATE: March 1, 1994 SYNOPSIS: AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to requiring that notice be given as to the time, place and agenda for each meeting of the houses and committees of the legislature NOTICE: [A> UPPERCASE TEXT WITHIN THESE SYMBOLS IS ADDED SECTION 88-A. MEETINGS OF THE HOUSES AND COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATURE. 1. THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE INFORMED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE AS TO THE TIME, PLACE, AND AGENDA FOR EACH MEETING OF THE HOUSES AND COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATURE IN ADDITION TO THE PROVISIONS SPECIFIED IN SECTION EIGHTY-EIGHT OF THIS ARTICLE. THE LEGISLATURE FURTHER FINDS AND DECLARES THAT IT IS DESIRABLE TO MAKE TIMELY INFORMATION REGARDING THESE PROCEEDINGS AVAILABLE TO EACH MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC IRRESPECTIVE OF WHERE HE OR SHE RESIDES, FOR THE LEAST COST POSSIBLE. 2. THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY SHALL MAKE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN ELECTRIC FORM: (A) THE MOST RECENT ASSEMBLY DAILY FILE AND MOST RECENT SENATE DAILY FILE. (B) THE TEXT OF EACH BILL INTRODUCED IN EACH CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, INCLUDING ALL AMENDED FORMS OF THE BILL. (C) THE BILL HISTORY OF EACH BILL INTRODUCED AND AMENDED IN EACH CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. (D) THE BILL STATUS OF EACH BILL INTRODUCED AND AMENDED IN EACH CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. (E) ALL BILL ANALYSES AND MEMORANDA PREPARED IN CONNECTION WITH EACH BILL IN EACH CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. (F) ALL VOTE INFORMATION CONCERNING EACH BILL IN EACH LEGISLATIVE SESSION. (G) MESSAGES RECEIVED FROM THE GOVERNOR OR THE OTHER HOUSE OF THE LEGISLATURE, AND HOME RULE MESSAGES CONCERNING EACH BILL IN EACH CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. (H) THE CONSOLIDATED LAWS OF NEW YORK. (I) UNCONSOLIDATED LAWS OF NEW YORK. (J) THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. (K) ALL UNCODIFIED STATUTES OR SESSION LAWS EITHER NOT PART OF THE CONSOLIDATED LAWS OR THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW YORK OR ENACTED AFTER THIS ACT SHALL HAVE TAKEN EFFECT. (L) DOCUMENTATION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND MAINTAINED IN COMPUTERIZED FORM WHICH DESCRIBES THE COMPUTERIZED DIGITAL FORMATS OF THE FILES CONTAINING THE INFORMATION SPECIFIED IN THIS PARAGRAPH. 3. THE INFORMATION IDENTIFIED IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC BY MEANS OF ACCESS BY WAY OF A COMPUTER MODEM. THE INFORMATION SHALL BE UPDATED NO LATER THAN ONE DAY AFTER ANY REVISION OR ADDITION OCCURS TO THAT INFORMATION, AS MAINTAINED IN COMPUTERIZED FORM BY ANY ENTITY AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE CURRENTLY THE LEGISLATIVE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM THAT IS OPERATED AND MAINTAINED BY THE LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION. THE INFORMATION, OR COPIES OF FILES OF INFORMATION SPECIFIED IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL AUTOMATICALLY BE TRANSMITTED BY WAY OF THE LARGEST NONPROPRIETARY, NONPROFIT COOPERATIVE PUBLIC COMPUTER NETWORK UPON RECEIVING ANY COMPUTERIZED REQUEST FOR THE FILES. THESE FILES SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN THIS MANNER IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY ARE TRANSMITTED TO AND PUBLISHED IN COMPUTERIZED FORM, BY ANY ENTITY AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, CURRENTLY THE LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION AND THE LEGISLATIVE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM. THE FILES SHALL CONTAIN ALL OF THE TEXT AND FORMATTING INFORMATION TRANSMITTED TO AND AVAILABLE IN COMPUTERIZED FORM, BY ANY ENTITY AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, CURRENTLY THE LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION AND THE LEGISLATIVE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM. IN THE EVENT THAT A TECHNICAL MALFUNCTION PREVENTS THESE FILES FROM BEING TRANSMITTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY ARE TRANSMITTED TO AND AVAILABLE IN COMPUTERIZED FORM, BY ANY ENTITY AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, CURRENTLY THE LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION AND THE LEGISLATIVE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY OR THEIR DESIGNEE SHALL BE NOTIFIED WITHIN ONE BUSINESS DAY. NO FEE OR OTHER CHARGE SHALL BE IMPOSED AS A CONDITION TO THIS PUBLIC ACCESS EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION. THE INFORMATION, OR COPIES OF FILES OF INFORMATION, SPECIFIED IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE EDITED BY THE PUBLIC. 4. NO INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY OBTAINING ACCESS TO INFORMATION UNDER THE SYSTEM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION SHALL REPUBLISH OR OTHERWISE DUPLICATE THAT INFORMATION FOR A FEE OR ANY OTHER CONSIDERATION EXCEPT WITH THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY OR THEIR DESIGNEE PURSUANT TO A WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY OR THEIR DESIGNEE THAT MAY PROVIDE FOR THE PAYMENT OF A FEE OR OTHER CHARGE FOR THIS PURPOSE. ANY FILE THAT IS AVAILABLE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION SHALL REMAIN AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC UPON REQUEST BY ELECTRONIC DIGITAL DATA TRANSMISSION UNTIL IT IS UPDATED. WHEN A FILE IS UPDATED, A COPY OF THE FILE WITHOUT THE UPDATED INFORMATION SHALL REMAIN AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC BY ELECTRONIC DIGITAL DATA TRANSMISSION FOR AT LEAST NINETY DAYS AFTER THE UPDATE. 5. ANY AMOUNTS RECEIVED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY OR THEIR DESIGNEE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION ARE HEREBY APPROPRIATED IN AUGMENTATION OF ANY OTHER AMOUNTS THAT ARE APPROPRIATED FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION. THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, OR THEIR DESIGNEE, OR THE LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION, OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY MAY NOT CONTROL WHICH OR HOW MANY FILES ARE AVAILABLE TO A PERSON WHO REQUESTS THE FILES NOR MONITOR OR KEEP ANY RECORDS ABOUT THOSE PERSONS WHO REQUEST FILES, EXCEPT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSURING THE QUALITY OF COMPUTER OPERATIONS. 6. NO ACTION TAKEN PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO ALTER OR RELINQUISH ANY COPYRIGHT OR OTHER PROPRIETARY INTEREST OR ENTITLEMENT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK RELATING TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.