Bill Text: NY S04177 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Provides for the dissemination by state agencies of rule making information through electronic media such as computer bulletin boards, e-mail and other new information technologies; requires state agencies where capable to notify affected parties by electronic mail and make text of certain documents available without cost through electronic methods.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - REFERRED TO COMMERCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS [S04177 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S04177-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4177
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    March 13, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic  Devel-
         opment and Small Business
       AN  ACT  to amend the state administrative procedure act, in relation to
         the dissemination of rule making information through electronic media
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The legislature finds and declares that the accessibility
    2  to the public of information concerning  the  regulatory  activities  of
    3  state  agencies,  and the ability of the public to communicate its views
    4  to state agencies in order to ensure that such policies  are  reflective
    5  of the people's interests, concerns and knowledge are essential elements
    6  of  open  and democratic government.  Technological changes, such as the
    7  expansion of  on-line  services,  computer  bulletin  boards  and  other
    8  aspects  of the "information superhighway", offer the state new opportu-
    9  nities to provide additional means of  ensuring  the  accessibility  and
   10  accountability of agencies to the public. Therefore, it is the intent of
   11  the legislature that agencies maximize their use of such technologies as
   12  appropriate  to  provide  for  greater  participation in the rule making
   13  process.
   14    S 2. The opening paragraph of section 201 of the state  administrative
   15  procedure  act  is  designated  subdivision 1 and a new subdivision 2 is
   16  added to read as follows:
   17    2. AGENCIES SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER  SHALL  MAXIMIZE
   18  THEIR  USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
   19  INTERNET AND OTHER ON-LINE SERVICES, COMPUTER BULLETIN BOARDS, ELECTRON-
   20  IC MAIL AND ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES, AS APPROPRIATE, TO
   21  PROVIDE FOR GREATER PARTICIPATION IN THE RULE MAKING PROCESS. EACH AGEN-
   22  CY SHALL INCLUDE A SUMMARY OF ITS EFFORTS IN THIS REGARD IN  ITS  ANNUAL
   23  REPORT.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00828-01-3
       S. 4177                             2
    1    S  3.  Paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision 6-a of section 202 of the state
    2  administrative procedure act, as amended by chapter 171 of the  laws  of
    3  1994, is amended to read as follows:
    4    (b)  An agency shall make a copy of the complete text of any proposed,
    5  adopted or emergency rule, regulatory impact statement, regulatory flex-
    6  ibility analysis, rural area flexibility analysis, or revisions  thereof
    7  available  to the public at the time such documents are submitted to the
    8  secretary of state for publication in the state register [and shall send
    9  to any person a copy of such text upon written request].   THE  TEXT  OF
   10  ANY  PROPOSED,  ADOPTED  OR EMERGENCY RULE, REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT,
   11  REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ANALYSIS, RURAL  AREA  FLEXIBILITY  ANALYSIS,  OR
   12  REVISIONS THEREOF SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE BY AN AGENCY THROUGH ALL MEANS
   13  AVAILABLE TO THE AGENCY, INCLUDING THE USE OF FACSIMILE TRANSMISSIONS OR
   14  OTHER  ELECTRONIC METHODS, TO ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO REQUESTS SUCH
   15  TEXT. THERE SHALL BE NO CHARGE FOR PROVIDING A COPY OF SUCH TEXT TO  ANY
   16  MEMBER  OF  THE  PUBLIC,  EXCEPT  THAT, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE AGENCY,
   17  THERE MAY BE A CHARGE FOR FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION.
   18    S 4. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 6-a of  section  202  of  the  state
   19  administrative  procedure  act,  as  added by chapter 850 of the laws of
   20  1990, is amended to read as follows:
   21    (c) An agency shall notify every person who has  submitted  a  written
   22  request  to  be  notified  of  all  proposed,  revised, emergency and/or
   23  adopted rules which may affect  such  person.    [Such]  AN  AGENCY  MAY
   24  PROVIDE  THE  TEXT  OF  ALL  PROPOSED, REVISED, EMERGENCY AND/OR ADOPTED
   25  RULES TO PERSONS WHO REQUEST SUCH TEXT ORALLY.   WRITTEN requests  shall
   26  expire  annually  on  the thirty-first day of December with renewals for
   27  the succeeding year to be accepted on or after December first UNLESS THE
   28  AGENCY AUTOMATICALLY RENEWS SUCH REQUESTS.   [Notices] THE TEXT  OF  ANY
   29  PROPOSED,  ADOPTED OR EMERGENCY RULE, REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT, REGU-
   30  LATORY  FLEXIBILITY  ANALYSIS,  RURAL  AREA  FLEXIBILITY  ANALYSIS,   OR
   31  REVISIONS  THEREOF  issued  pursuant  to [such] WRITTEN OR ORAL requests
   32  shall be sent [in writing] BY MAIL BY THE AGENCY  to  the  last  address
   33  specified  by  the  person, WHENEVER SUCH PERSON HAS REQUESTED THAT SUCH
   34  TEXT BE MAILED.   An  agency  may  charge  any  person  requesting  such
   35  [notice]  TEXT a fee consisting of the cost of preparation, handling and
   36  postage.  THE TEXT MAY ALSO BE PROVIDED BY ANY OTHER MEANS AVAILABLE  TO
   37  THE  AGENCY, INCLUDING THE USE OF FACSIMILE TRANSMISSIONS OR OTHER ELEC-
   38  TRONIC METHODS, AND A REASONABLE FEE MAY  BE  CHARGED  THEREFOR  AT  THE
   39  DISCRETION OF THE AGENCY.
   40    S 5. Subdivision 6 of section 202-b of the state administrative proce-
   41  dure  act,  as amended by chapter 611 of the laws of 1996, is amended to
   42  read as follows:
   43    6. When any rule is proposed for which a regulatory flexibility analy-
   44  sis is required, the agency shall assure that small businesses and local
   45  governments have been given an opportunity to participate  in  the  rule
   46  making through such activities as:
   47    (a)  the  publication of a general notice for the proposed rule making
   48  in publications likely to be obtained  by  small  businesses  and  local
   49  governments of the types affected by the proposed rule;
   50    (b)  the  direct notification of interested small businesses and local
   51  governments affected by the proposed rule INCLUDING,  WHERE  THE  AGENCY
   52  HAS  THE  TECHNOLOGICAL  CAPABILITY TO DO SO, NOTIFICATION BY ELECTRONIC
   53  MAIL;
   54    (c) THE DISSEMINATION OF SUCH INFORMATION TO ON-LINE  BULLETIN  BOARDS
   55  OVER THE INTERNET OR SIMILAR DATA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS;
       S. 4177                             3
    1    (D)  the  conduct  of special open conferences concerning the proposed
    2  rule for small businesses and local governments affected  by  the  rule;
    3  and
    4    [(d)]  (E)  the adoption or modification of agency procedural rules to
    5  reduce the cost or complexity of participation in  the  rule  making  by
    6  small businesses and local governments.
    7    S  6.  Subdivision  7  of  section  202-bb of the state administrative
    8  procedure act, as added by chapter 171 of the laws of 1994,  is  amended
    9  to read as follows:
   10    7. When any rule is proposed for which a rural area flexibility analy-
   11  sis  is required, the agency shall assure that public and private inter-
   12  ests in rural areas have been given an opportunity to participate in the
   13  rule making through such activities as:
   14    (i) the publication of a general notice of the proposed rule making;
   15    (ii) notification of public  and  private  interests  in  rural  areas
   16  directly  affected  by the proposed rule INCLUDING, WHERE THE AGENCY HAS
   17  THE TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITY TO DO SO, NOTIFICATION BY ELECTRONIC MAIL;
   18    (iii) THE DISSEMINATION OF SUCH INFORMATION TO ON-LINE BULLETIN BOARDS
   19  OVER THE INTERNET OR SIMILAR DATA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS, INCLUDING BUT
   20  NOT LIMITED TO THE RURAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION NETWORK OR ANY SUCCESSOR
   21  NETWORK;
   22    (IV) the conduct of special public hearings or meetings concerning the
   23  proposed rule for those public and private  interests  affected  by  the
   24  rule; and
   25    [(iv)]  (V)  the  adoption  or modification of agency procedural rules
   26  that will minimize the cost or complexity of participation in  the  rule
   27  making.
   28    S 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
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