Bill > A02336

This bill requires meetings between the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly that discuss the state budget to be open to the general public. Specifically, the bill mandates that these budget-related meetings must allow public attendance, with opportunities for people to listen and observe in at least one physical location where a meeting participant is present. The meetings would be allowed to be photographed, broadcast, webcast, or recorded through audio or video means. Furthermore, the bill stipulates that these meetings should be broadcast in real-time and maintained as records on the websites of the governor, senate, and assembly, with recordings remaining accessible for a reasonable period after the meeting. The purpose of this legislation is to increase transparency in the state budget negotiation process by providing the public with direct access to and insight into how key budget decisions are made. The bill would amend the public officers law by adding a new section (103-b) to ensure these transparency requirements are legally mandated, and it is set to take effect immediately upon passage.