A 5669: Provides for monetary penalties for the intentional violation of the open meetings law by any member of a public body who participates in a meeting with the intent and purpose of violating the provisions of the open meetings law.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5669 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 19, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to providing penal- ties for the intentional violation of the open meetings law The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 107 of the public officers law is amended by adding 2 a new subdivision 4 to read as follows: 3 4. Any member of a public body who participates in a meeting with the 4 intent and purpose by that member of violating this article is hereby 5 guilty of an offense. Such offense shall be punishable by a fine of not 6 less than three hundred fifty dollars nor more than one thousand dollars 7 for conviction of a first offense. Said offense shall be punishable 8 by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars nor more than two thou- 9 sand dollars for conviction of a second offense or subsequent offense. 10 Upon conviction, said member of a public body shall also be liable for 11 the costs of prosecution. The state or any public corporation for the 12 public body shall not make a payment on behalf of or reimburse a member 13 of a public body for a fine or cost resulting from the member's 14 violation of this section. 15 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of September next 16 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09145-01-5