S 1689: Defines "professional journalist"; provides press access to open meanings of an agency or authority; prohibits the adoption of policies or rules restricting such access; requires notice of such meetings to local governments.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1689 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 13, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern- ment Operations AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to providing press access to open meetings of an agency or authority The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 102 of the public officers law is amended by adding 2 a new subdivision 4 to read as follows: 3 4. "Professional journalist" means a person who, for gain or liveli- 4 hood, is engaged in gathering, preparing, collecting, writing, editing, 5 filming, taping or photographing of news intended for a newspaper, maga- 6 zine, news agency, press association or wire service or other profes- 7 sional medium or agency which has as one of its regular functions the 8 processing and researching of news intended for dissemination to the 9 public; such person shall be someone performing such function either as 10 a regular employee or as one otherwise professionally affiliated for 11 gain or livelihood with such medium of communication. 12 § 2. The public officers law is amended by adding a new section 103-b 13 to read as follows: 14 § 103-b. Press access. Open meetings of an agency or authority, except 15 for executive sessions as provided for in this article, shall be open 16 and accessible to professional journalists and members of the press. No 17 policies or rules shall be adopted restricting such access. 18 § 3. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 104 of the public officers law, 19 as amended by chapter 302 of the laws of 2016, are amended and a new 20 subdivision 7 is added to read as follows: 21 1. Public notice of the time and place of a meeting scheduled at least 22 one week prior thereto shall be given or electronically transmitted to 23 the news media and local governments and shall be conspicuously posted 24 in one or more designated public locations at least [seventy-two] nine- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05167-01-5 
 S. 1689 2 1 ty-six hours or four business days before such meeting, whichever is 2 greater. 3 2. Public notice of the time and place of every other meeting shall be 4 given or electronically transmitted, to the extent practicable, to the 5 news media and local governments and shall be conspicuously posted in 6 one or more designated public locations at a reasonable time prior ther- 7 eto. 8 7. A draft agenda for any public meeting shall be conspicuously posted 9 to the agency's website no later than twenty-four hours before any meet- 10 ing scheduled in accordance with subdivision one or two of this section. 11 § 4. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 12 have become a law.