Int. No. 119-A

By Council Members Brewer, Avella, DeBlasio, Fidler, Jackson, Lopez, Monserrate, Moskowitz, Perkins, Reyna, Sears and Felder; also Council Members Addabbo and Sanders

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to requiring that official publications of city agencies be submitted in electronic format to the department of records and information services and be made available to the public through the department's website.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                                          Section 1.  Declaration of legislative findings and intent.  The Council finds and declares that the City of New York should lead the nation in using information technologies to improve the efficiency and accessibility of municipal government.  Recognizing that the Internet offers a powerful means of accomplishing these twin goals, and recognizing further that reducing government's use of paper benefits the environment, the Council finds that City agencies should aggressively expand their presence on the City's award-winning website, NYC.GOV, by posting vital documents and publications in a timely fashion for public use.

Pursuant to this legislation, and recognizing that the Department of Records and Information Services currently serves as the New York City Charter mandated repository and disseminator of City documents, City agencies will be required to transmit to the Department, in an electronic format, all documents required by law to be published or transmitted to the Mayor or Council.  Such transmittal shall occur within ten business days after the date upon which any such document is required by law to be published or transmitted to the Mayor or Council.  The Department of Records and Information Services shall further make any such document transmitted to the Department in this manner available on its website within ten business days after the date upon which any such document is required by law to be published or transmitted to the Mayor or Council.  With these requirements, the City will make municipal information more readily accessible to the public and will, most importantly, encourage the increasing use of information technology resources as a means of improving government.

                     §2.  Subdivision a of section 1133 of the New York city charter, as renumbered and amended by vote of the electors at the general election held on November 8, 1988, is amended to read as follows:

                     a. The head of each agency shall transmit to the municipal reference and research center at least four copies of each report, document, study or publication of such agency immediately after the same shall have been published or issued.  The head of each agency shall also transmit to the department of records and information services or its successor agency, in electronic format, each report, document, study and publication required by local law, executive order, or mayoral directive to be published, issued, or transmitted to the council or mayor, within ten business days of such publication, issuance or transmittal to the council or mayor, which materials shall be made available to the public on or through the department's website, or its successor's website, within ten business days of such publication, issuance or transmittal to the council or mayor. The agency shall further transmit to the municipal reference and research center four copies of each report, document, study or publication prepared by consultants, or other independent contractors, as soon as such report or study is released, and shall further transmit within ten business days of release by the agency, in electronic format, to the department of records and information services each such report, document, study or publication. Such materials shall further be made available to the public on or through the department's website, or its successor's website, within ten business days of release by the agency.  Where practicable, each agency shall also transmit, in electronic format, to the department of records and information services or its successor agency any report, document, study and publication required to be published by any state or federal law, rule or regulation within ten business days of publication.  Such materials shall further be made available to the public on or through the department's website, or its successor's website, within ten business days of such publication. 

                     §3.  Paragraphs e and f of subdivision 2 of section 3004 of the New York city charter, as added by vote of the electors at the general election held on November 8, 1988, are amended to read as follows:

                     e. collect, compile and maintain data and information pertaining to the operation of the city as well as other municipalities, governmental bodies and public authorities and arrange for the exchange, sale, purchase and loan of information materials from and with legislative and research services, libraries and institutions in other municipalities, governmental bodies and public authorities; and

                     f.  ensure that each report, document, study or publication that is electronically transmitted to the department of records and information services pursuant to section 1133 of the charter is made available to the public on or through the website of the department, or its successor's website, within ten business days of publication, issuance, release or transmittal to the council or mayor.

                     §4.  Subdivision 3 of section 3004 of the New York city charter, as added by vote of the electors at the general election held on November 8, 1988, is amended to read as follows:

                     c. report annually by the thirtieth day of September to the mayor[, board of estimate] and city council on the powers and duties hereinmentioned including, but not limited to, the cost savings effectuated by the department during the preceding fiscal year.  This report shall further include an evaluation of compliance with the requirements of subdivision a of section 1133 of the charter.

                     §5.  This local law shall take effect one hundred twenty days after its enactment except that community boards shall not be subject to the provisions of this local law until one year after its enactment.