New York groups push for stronger FOIL laws

Transparency advocates in New York are celebrating Sunshine Week by pushing for new laws that improve the state's Freedom of Information Laws. This group includes organizations like Common Cause/NY and the League of Women Voters of New York State. They are urging the state Assembly to pass several important bills. Two bills have recently made progress in the Assembly. The first bill, S5000/A1410, would require corporations to reapply for exemptions from public records after they submit documents to the state. This would help ensure greater transparency. The second bill, S452/A2321, would require government agencies to report on their FOIL requests. This would help the public understand how well agencies are handling these requests. Additionally, there are two more bills that have not yet passed. One aims to reduce the response time for FOIL requests, while the other seeks to strengthen attorneys’ fees associated with FOIL cases. Axel Ebermann, the president of the New York Coalition for Open Government, emphasized the importance of these efforts in a recent interview.