2023 New York Laws › PBO - Public Officers › Article 7 - Open Meetings Law › 103 - Open Meetings and Executive Sessions.

§ 103. Open  meetings  and  executive sessions. (a) Every meeting of a
public body shall  be  open  to  the  general  public,  except  that  an
executive  session  of  such  body may be called and business transacted
thereat in accordance with section ninety-five of this article.
(b) Public bodies shall make  or  cause  to  be  made  all  reasonable
efforts  to  ensure  that  meetings  are  held in facilities that permit
barrier-free physical access to the physically handicapped,  as  defined
in subdivision five of section fifty of the public buildings law.
* (c)  A  public  body  shall provide an opportunity for the public to
attend, listen and observe meetings in at least one physical location at
which a member participates.
* NB Effective until July 1, 2026
* (c) A  public  body  that  uses  videoconferencing  to  conduct  its
meetings  shall  provide an opportunity for the public to attend, listen
and observe at any site at which a member participates.
* NB Effective July 1, 2026
* (d) Public bodies shall make or cause  to  be  made  all  reasonable
efforts  to  ensure  that  meetings  are held in an appropriate facility
which can adequately accommodate members  of  the  public  who  wish  to
attend such meetings.
* NB There are 2 sub (d)'s
* (d) 1. Any meeting of a public body that is open to the public shall
be open to being photographed, broadcast, webcast, or otherwise recorded
and/or  transmitted  by  audio  or  video means. As used herein the term
"broadcast" shall also include the transmission of signals by cable.
2. A public body may adopt rules, consistent with recommendations from
the committee on open government, reasonably governing the  location  of
equipment  and  personnel  used  to  photograph,  broadcast, webcast, or
otherwise record a meeting so  as  to  conduct  its  proceedings  in  an
orderly manner. Such rules shall be conspicuously posted during meetings
and   written  copies  shall  be  provided  upon  request  to  those  in
attendance.
* NB There are 2 sub (d)'s
(e) Agency records available to the public pursuant to article six  of
this chapter, as well as any proposed resolution, law, rule, regulation,
policy  or any amendment thereto, that is scheduled to be the subject of
discussion by a public  body  during  an  open  meeting  shall  be  made
available,  upon  request  therefor,  to the extent practicable at least
twenty-four hours prior to the meeting during which the records will  be
discussed. Copies of such records may be made available for a reasonable
fee,  determined  in the same manner as provided therefor in article six
of this chapter.  If  the  agency  in  which  a  public  body  functions
maintains  a regularly and routinely updated website and utilizes a high
speed internet connection, such records shall be posted on  the  website
to  the  extent  practicable  at  least  twenty-four  hours prior to the
meeting. An agency may, but shall not be required to, expend  additional
moneys to implement the provisions of this subdivision.
(f)  Open  meetings  of an agency or authority shall be, to the extent
practicable and within available funds,  broadcast  to  the  public  and
maintained  as  records  of  the  agency  or authority. If the agency or
authority maintains  a  website  and  utilizes  a  high  speed  internet
connection,  such  open  meeting shall be, to the extent practicable and
within available funds, streamed  on  such  website  in  real-time,  and
posted  on  such  website  within  and  for  a reasonable time after the
meeting. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term  "agency"  shall
mean only a state department, board, bureau, division, council or office
and  any  public corporation the majority of whose members are appointed
by the governor. For purposes of this subdivision, the term  "authority"

shall  mean  a public authority or public benefit corporation created by
or existing under any state law,  at  least  one  of  whose  members  is
appointed  by  the  governor  (including any subsidiaries of such public
authority  or  public  benefit corporation), other than an interstate or
international authority or public benefit corporation.