Bill Text: NY A05601 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires entities that submit records to state agencies that are excepted from disclosure under FOIL to periodically re-apply for the exception.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-03-14 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS [A05601 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A05601-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5601
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 23, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. DESTITO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
         tee on Governmental Operations
       AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to requiring  enti-
         ties  that  submit  records  to  state agencies that are excepted from
         disclosure under the freedom of information law to periodically re-ap-
         ply for the exception
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. Subdivision 5 of section 89 of the public officers law, as
    2  added by chapter 890 of the laws of 1981, paragraph (a)  as  amended  by
    3  chapter 403 of the laws of 2003, paragraph (d) as amended by chapter 339
    4  of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
    5    5.  (a)  (1) A person acting pursuant to law or regulation who, subse-
    6  quent to the effective date of this subdivision, submits any information
    7  to any state agency may, at the time of  submission,  request  that  the
    8  agency  except,  FOR  A  DEFINED  PERIOD  OF TIME, such information from
    9  disclosure under paragraph (d) of subdivision two of section eighty-sev-
   10  en of this article. Where the request itself contains information  which
   11  if disclosed would defeat the purpose for which the exception is sought,
   12  such  information  shall  also be excepted from disclosure FOR A DEFINED
   13  PERIOD OF TIME.
   14    (1-a) A person or entity who submits or otherwise makes available  any
   15  records  to  any  agency,  may,  at  any time, identify those records or
   16  portions thereof that may contain critical  infrastructure  information,
   17  and  request  that  the agency that maintains such records except, FOR A
   18  DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME, such information from disclosure under  subdivi-
   19  sion  two  of  section  eighty-seven  of this article. Where the request
   20  itself contains information which if disclosed would defeat the  purpose
   21  for  which  the  exception  is  sought,  such  information shall also be
   22  excepted from disclosure FOR A DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD09798-01-1
       A. 5601                             2
    1    (2) (I) The request for  an  exception  shall  be  in  writing,  SHALL
    2  SPECIFICALLY  IDENTIFY  WHICH  PORTIONS OF THE RECORD ARE THE SUBJECT OF
    3  THE REQUEST FOR EXCEPTION and state  the  reasons  why  the  information
    4  should  be excepted, FOR A DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME, from disclosure.  THE
    5  SUBMITTER  MAY ALSO PROVIDE A DATE BY WHICH SUCH EXCEPTION SHALL EXPIRE,
    6  PROVIDED THAT SUCH DATE SHALL NOT EXCEED THREE YEARS FROM  THE  TIME  OF
    7  THE AGENCY'S RECEIPT OF THE REQUEST FOR AN EXCEPTION.
    8    (II)  ANY  SUCH  REQUEST  FOR  AN  EXCEPTION  SHALL BE EFFECTIVE FOR A
    9  THREE-YEAR PERIOD FROM THE AGENCY'S RECEIPT THEREOF. PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,
   10  THAT  NOT  LESS  THAN  SIXTY  DAYS  PRIOR  TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE THEN
   11  CURRENT TERM OF THE EXCEPTION REQUEST, THE SUBMITTER MAY  APPLY  TO  THE
   12  AGENCY  FOR A THREE-YEAR EXTENSION OF ITS EXCEPTION REQUEST. UPON TIMELY
   13  RECEIPT OF A REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF AN EXCEPTION REQUEST, AN AGENCY
   14  SHALL REVIEW THE APPLICATION AND EITHER  GRANT  OR  DENY  THE  EXTENSION
   15  REQUEST. A DENIAL OF AN EXTENSION REQUEST MAY BE APPEALED BY THE SUBMIT-
   16  TER  PURSUANT  TO  PARAGRAPH  (C)  OF THIS SUBDIVISION. IF THE SUBMITTER
   17  FAILS TO APPLY FOR AN EXTENSION, THE EXCEPTION SHALL  BE  CONSIDERED  TO
   18  HAVE EXPIRED.
   19    (3)  Information  submitted as provided in subparagraphs one and one-a
   20  of this paragraph shall be excepted from disclosure FOR A DEFINED PERIOD
   21  OF TIME and be maintained apart by the agency  from  all  other  records
   22  until  THE  EXPIRATION  OF  THE SUBMITTER'S EXCEPTION REQUEST OR fifteen
   23  days after the entitlement to such exception has been finally determined
   24  or such further time as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.
   25    (b) [On] DURING THE EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF  AN  EXCEPTION  REQUEST  UNDER
   26  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  ON the initiative of the agency at any time, or upon
   27  the request of any person for a record excepted from disclosure pursuant
   28  to this subdivision, the agency shall:
   29    (1) inform the person who requested  the  exception  of  the  agency's
   30  intention  to  determine  whether  such  exception  should be granted or
   31  continued;
   32    (2) permit the person who requested the exception, within ten business
   33  days of receipt of notification from the agency,  to  submit  a  written
   34  statement  of  the  necessity  for  the granting or continuation of such
   35  exception;
   36    (3) within seven business days of receipt of such  written  statement,
   37  or within seven business days of the expiration of the period prescribed
   38  for  submission  of such statement, issue a written determination grant-
   39  ing, continuing or terminating such exception and  stating  the  reasons
   40  therefor;  copies of such determination shall be served upon the person,
   41  if any, requesting the record, the person who requested  the  exception,
   42  and the committee on [public access to records] OPEN GOVERNMENT.
   43    (c)  A  denial  of an exception from disclosure under paragraph (b) of
   44  this subdivision may be appealed by the person submitting  the  informa-
   45  tion  and a denial of access to the record may be appealed by the person
   46  requesting the record in accordance with this subdivision:
   47    (1) Within seven business days of receipt of  written  notice  denying
   48  the request, the person may file a written appeal from the determination
   49  of  the  agency with the head of the agency, the chief executive officer
   50  or governing body or their designated representatives.
   51    (2) The appeal shall be determined within ten  business  days  of  the
   52  receipt  of  the  appeal.  Written  notice of the determination shall be
   53  served upon the person, if any, requesting the record,  the  person  who
   54  requested  the exception and the committee on [public access to records]
   55  OPEN GOVERNMENT.  The notice shall contain a statement  of  the  reasons
   56  for the determination.
       A. 5601                             3
    1    (d)  A proceeding to review an adverse determination pursuant to para-
    2  graph (c) of this subdivision  may  be  commenced  pursuant  to  article
    3  seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules. Such proceeding, when
    4  brought  by  a  person  seeking an exception from disclosure pursuant to
    5  this  subdivision,  must be commenced within fifteen days of the service
    6  of the written notice containing the adverse determination provided  for
    7  in subparagraph two of paragraph (c) of this subdivision.
    8    (e)  The  person  requesting  an exception from disclosure pursuant to
    9  this subdivision shall in all proceedings have  the  burden  of  proving
   10  entitlement to the exception.
   11    (f)  Where  the agency denies access to a record pursuant to paragraph
   12  [(d) of] (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION IN CONJUNCTION WITH subdivision two  of
   13  section  eighty-seven  of this article, the agency shall have the burden
   14  of proving that the record falls within the provisions  of  such  excep-
   15  tion.
   16    (g)  Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to deny any person
   17  access, pursuant to the remaining provisions of  this  article,  to  any
   18  record or part excepted from disclosure upon the express written consent
   19  of the person who had requested the exception.
   20    (h)  As  used  in this subdivision the term "agency" or "state agency"
   21  means only a state  department,  board,  bureau,  division,  council  or
   22  office  and  any  public  corporation  the majority of whose members are
   23  appointed by the governor.
   24    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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