New York S 1259: Creates the "I love NY outdoors" program; appropriation

Bill Text

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S01259 Summary:

BILL NOS01259 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORMAY

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §60, Leg L; amd §103, Pub Off L

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Relates to permitting witness testimony before legislative committees via videoconferencing upon a request for reasonable accommodation by a witness and the demonstration by the witness of an inability to testify in-person.

Go to top S01259 Actions:

BILL NOS01259 

&nbsp

01/08/2025REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

01/07/2026REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Go to topS01259 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01259 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS01259 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1259

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 8, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
 ment Operations

 AN ACT to amend the legislative law and the public officers law, in
 relation to witness testimony before legislative committees via video-
 conferencing

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 60 of the legislative law, as amended by chapter
 2 416 of the laws of 1954, is amended to read as follows:
 3 § 60. Testimony before legislative committees. 1. A legislative
 4 committee may require the attendance of witnesses in this state whom the
 5 committee may wish to examine, or may issue a commission for the exam-
 6 ination of witnesses who are out of the state or unable to attend the
 7 committee or excused from attendance, which commission if directed by
 8 the house or legislature by which the committee is appointed may be
 9 executed during the recess of the legislature. A commission issued as
 10 provided by this section shall be in the form used in the courts of
 11 record of this state and shall be executed in like manner. Unless other-
 12 wise instructed by the committee appointing them the commissioners shall
 13 examine privately every witness attending before them and shall not make
 14 public the particulars of such examination. No committee of either house
 15 or a joint committee of both houses shall have the power to take testi-
 16 mony at a private hearing or at a public hearing unless at least two of
 17 its members are present at such hearing.
 18 2. Upon a request for reasonable accommodation by a witness, a legis-
 19 lative committee may grant such witness permission to testify before
 20 such legislative committee via videoconferencing. Such request for
 21 reasonable accommodation shall not be approved unless such witness has
 22 demonstrated, to the satisfaction of such legislative committee, an
 23 inability to testify in-person due to disability, cost of travel, severe

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04134-01-5

 S. 1259 2

 1 weather conditions, or another reason deemed justifiable by such legis-
 2 lative committee.
 3 § 2. Subdivisions (d), (e) and (f) of section 103 of the public offi-
 4 cers law, subdivision (d) as added by chapter 43 of the laws of 2010,
 5 subdivision (e) as amended by chapter 481 of the laws of 2021 and subdi-
 6 vision (f) as amended by chapter 319 of the laws of 2016, are amended
 7 and a new subdivision (h) is added to read as follows:
 8 [(d)] (e) 1. Any meeting of a public body that is open to the public
 9 shall be open to being photographed, broadcast, webcast, or otherwise
 10 recorded and/or transmitted by audio or video means. As used herein the
 11 term "broadcast" shall also include the transmission of signals by
 12 cable.
 13 2. A public body may adopt rules, consistent with recommendations from
 14 the committee on open government, reasonably governing the location of
 15 equipment and personnel used to photograph, broadcast, webcast, or
 16 otherwise record a meeting so as to conduct its proceedings in an order-
 17 ly manner. Such rules shall be conspicuously posted during meetings and
 18 written copies shall be provided upon request to those in attendance.
 19 [(e)] (f) Agency records avai