NEW YORK STATE ASSMELBY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
A10035

SPONSOR
Assemblyman Hector L. Diaz

TITLE OF BILL
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.

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA
To facilitate greater public access to information via computer modem and
cooperative public computer networks.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS
The bill amends the Public Officers Law by adding a new section 88-a to
provide that the following information shall be available toe public in
electronic form via computer modem by way of the largest nonproprietary,
nonprofit cooperative public computer network:
(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
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 enacted after this act
shall have taeffect.
(l) Documentation that is available to the public and maintained in
computerized form which describes the computerized digital formats of the
files containing the aforementioned materials.

The bill also provides, while protecting copyright interests of the state,
that the above mentioned information would be available to the public no
later than one day after any revision or addition as maintained by an
authorized entity of the state legislature such as the legislative bill
drafting commission. Additionally, the bill stipulates that no individual
or entity may charge a fee for the information without authorization of the
temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assemy or their
designee.

JUSTIFICATION
In addition to facilitating greater public access to information by using
electronics and computers, this bill, if it becomes law, would allow timely
information to be distributed to a greater number of people in a shorter
amount of time. The public would be able to access information immediately
after it became part of the public computer network. The system would work
similar to the ACOM (Assembly Communications), and LRS (Legislative
Retrieval System) systems that Assemblymembers have in their offices.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE
The act shall take effect on the first day of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.