Bill > A07080

This bill amends the New York Public Officers Law to establish clearer guidelines for managing and potentially selling government-held electronic data. The bill first defines key technical terms: a "database" is a set of data collected for a specific purpose, a "data file" is an electronic record of organized information, and an "electronic record" is any record stored and processed by computer. It then modifies existing law to specify that when reproducing electronic records, agencies can charge for staff time, computer time, and storage media, but these costs cannot exceed what would be charged for photocopied records. Most significantly, the bill allows government agencies to create rules permitting the public sale, lease, or other disposition of information maintained in their databases, with pricing to be set by agency rules. Any money generated from such sales must be deposited into the general fund of the public corporation. This provision appears designed to provide agencies with a potential new revenue stream while establishing a transparent process for selling government-held data.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7080