File #: Int 0847-2018    Version: * Name: Creating a website to produce and sign petitions seeking particular actions by city government.
Type: Introduction Status: Filed (End of Session)
Committee: Committee on Technology
On agenda: 4/25/2018
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating a website to produce and sign petitions seeking particular actions by city government
Sponsors: Peter A. Koo, Robert F. Holden
Council Member Sponsors: 2
Summary: The bill requires the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) to establish and maintain a website for the public to petition city government. Once a petition reaches a threshold of electronic signatures it will be submitted to the appropriate agency for review and response. DoITT would also be required to report on agency responses to public petitions and issue an annual report to the Council on the petitions transmitted to each agency, along with the agency response, if any.
Indexes: Agency Rule-making Required, Oversight, Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 847, 2. Int. No. 847, 3. April 25, 2018 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 4. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 4-25-18, 5. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - April 25, 2018

Int. No. 847

 

By Council Members Koo and Holden

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating a website to produce and sign petitions seeking particular actions by city government

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Title 23 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 9 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 9

PETITIONING CITY GOVERNMENT

 

§ 23-901 Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

Department. The term “department” means the department of information technology and telecommunications.

Public authority. The term “public authority” means any state authority or local authority as defined in section two of the public authorities law that operates within the city of New York.

Online petition. The term “online petition” means a petition that satisfies the following conditions:

1. the petition calls for an action to be taken by a city agency or public authority;

2. the petition is available on the website required pursuant to subdivision a of section 23-802; and

3. individual electronic signatures may be added to the petition.

§ 23-902 Website for petitioning city government. a. The department shall establish a website that:

1. allows members of the public to create and sign online petitions; and

2. allows city agencies or public authorities to post public responses to online petitions.

b. After an online petition reaches a threshold number of electronic signatures, as determined by the department by rule, such petition shall be transmitted to the appropriate city agency or public authority for a public response.

c. The department shall make a request for information at least once every six months from each city agency or public authority that received at least one online petition from the department during the preceding six months. Such request shall be for information including, but not limited to, (i) the public response from each city agency or public authority to each petition it received from the department, if any, and (ii) a summary of the actions taken by such city agency or public authority in response to such petition, if any.

d. Nothing herein shall prohibit a city agency from maintaining a separate process for public submission of petitions.

§ 23-903 Reporting. a. The department shall maintain an automated reporting system, available to the public, on the website created pursuant to subdivision a of section 23-902 of chapter 9 of this title. Such reporting system shall include, at a minimum, (i) the number of online petitions transmitted to each city agency or public authority, (ii) the number of such petitions to which city agency or public authority has responded, and (iii) each city agency or public authority’s public response to each petition.

b. No later than June 30 of the year following enactment of this local law, and each year thereafter, the department shall issue a report to the speaker of the council and the mayor containing, at a minimum, a list of online petitions transmitted to each city agency or public authority and the following information for each such petition:

1. the relevant city agency or public authority’s public response to such petition, if any; and

2. a summary of the actions taken by the relevant city agency or public authority in response to such petition, if any.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the department of information technology and telecommunications shall take such measures as are necessary for its implementation, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such effective date.

 

 

 

 

 

ARP

LS 5631 / Int. 0471-2014

3/5/2018 3:58 PM