N.Y. Executive Law § 203-b: Additional duties of the commissioner regarding information on state boards

§ 203-b. Additional duties of the commissioner regarding information

on state boards. 1. As used in this section, "commissioner" means the

commissioner of general services and, "board" means any board,

commission, committee, council, task force or any similar state public

organization, required to be established pursuant to the state

constitution, state statutes or executive order, for the exercise of any

function of state government and to which members are appointed or

elected. "Board" does not include:

a. any informal advisory organization not established by law;

b. any joint standing committee of the legislature or any committee of

the assembly and/or senate composed entirely of members of the

legislature;

c. any court;

d. the board of trustees of any institution of higher education

financially supported in whole or in part by the state;

e. any entity of local government;

f. any public authority or public benefit corporation, a majority of

whose members are appointed by the governor or serve as members by

virtue of holding state offices to which they were appointed by the

governor, or any combination thereof; and

g. any board of elections.

2. The commissioner shall maintain a list of all state boards,

including state boards deemed active and regularly meeting on and after

the effective date of this section. The commissioner shall keep such

list on a website designated by the commissioner for the purpose of

public access, and such list shall have a link to the website for each

such board established pursuant to subdivision three of this section.

The designated website shall be updated annually.

3. Each board or the state agency that provides administrative support

or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall establish and maintain a

website available to the public and provide a link to such website to

the commissioner. Each board or the state agency that provides

administrative support or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall

annually on or before January first, update the information on its

website.

4. The website established by each board or the state agency that

provides administrative support or is otherwise affiliated with a board

shall include, but not be limited to:

a. statutory language, executive order or other legal basis or

authorization for the establishment of such board;

b. public information including departmental affiliation, contact

address, phone number, and website;

c. a brief description of the purpose of the board and its legally

required duties, including required reports or other products;

d. the size of board membership, current member names, and any

qualifications;

e. whether members of a board are eligible for payment of expenses or

other compensation in the performance of their duties as members of such

board and information on compensation and expenses incurred in the prior

and current fiscal years, as well as projected costs for the coming

fiscal year;

f. meeting minutes and agendas, dates and locations of all meetings

held, and to be held within six months, or a location, including but not

limited to another website, in which such information can be publicly

accessed;

g. geographic and other relevant qualifications of all current members

of the board, including the county in which the member resides and the

background or expertise the member possesses where such background or

expertise is required for membership on such board; and

h. any other information the commissioner may require. Nothing in this

section shall authorize the release or publication of any board member's

residential address.

5. Each board or the state agency that provides administrative support

or is otherwise affiliated with a board shall update on an annual basis

beginning November first, two thousand twenty-three on its website, all

vacancies, expired terms, terms expiring within one year, and the

process for filling such vacancies on such boards.

6. On or before January first, two thousand twenty-four, the

commissioner shall report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly,

the temporary president of the senate, the chair of the assembly

oversight, analysis and investigation committee and the chair of the

senate investigations and government operations committee on the status

of the list including but not limited to the number of boards reported

and verified. The commissioner shall also report on any impediments to

obtaining information.