Galef Copyright Bill Passes Assembly

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef has authored a number of transparency bills including A. 3489, which waives the ability of government agencies in New York to claim copyright protection except where the record reflects artistic creation, or scientific or academic research. There have been instances where government has charged more than the actual cost or has denied dissemination of public information. This bill passed the Assembly today, ushering in a crucial reform to New York State’s transparency laws. Senator David Carlucci sponsors the bill in the Senate-S. 2171.

“It is important that government information be available to all those who request it through the Freedom of Information Act without having to pay a high premium for that information or being denied this information because government claimed a copyright and refused the FOIL request,” stated Galef. “We need to clarify the government’s copyright ability and assure the public’s right to acquire information.”

Sunshine Week is an annual reminder of the importance of visibility and public awareness of government. The Assembly yearly reinforces its dedication to strengthening public participation and transparency in government by proposing and voting on bills which seek to increase transparency and access to information on state government practices.

Other transparency-oriented bills authored by Sandy Galef include:

· A. 2830: Establishes a New York State Independent Budget Office to provide objective analyses of state revenues and expenditures.

· A. 4390: Requires legislative fiscal impact notes to include objective calculations of anticipated economic impacts for the following years.

· A. 5307-A: Increases transparency for member items, discretionary funds, and unitemized lump sum appropriations.

· A. 8622- Prohibits political parties from changing names, making sure that parties deliver a concise message to voters regarding what they stand for.

· A. 9180: “The Consulting Act”, which seeks to regulate the practices of political consulting through monitoring and registration to the state.