Bill > S10098

This bill amends the Public Officers Law, which governs the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in New York, to establish new maximum timeframes for government agencies to respond to requests for records. Currently, agencies must respond within five business days, either by providing the record, denying the request, or acknowledging receipt and stating an approximate date for a decision. This bill introduces a new subdivision that sets specific deadlines for when agencies must make records available if they have decided to grant a request: 180 days for requests made before the end of 2027, 90 days for requests made in 2028, and 60 days for requests made from 2029 onwards. If an agency cannot meet these deadlines, it can extend the timeframe if federal law prevents review, if employees cannot safely access records, or if the records are too voluminous to review reasonably. In such cases, the agency must notify the requester in writing with detailed reasons and provide monthly progress updates, and also notify the Committee on Open Government, with both notifications signed by the agency's commissioner. These changes are intended to ensure more timely access to public records.