Establishes standards for public access to family court proceedings

This bill requires New York family courts to be open to the public by default, including media access to common areas like courtrooms and lobbies. Judges may exclude individuals only for specific, documented reasons - such as preventing disruption, protecting privacy (especially for children), or addressing party objections - and must state their rationale on the record. It updates existing court procedures to ensure exclusions follow these standardized criteria, without altering who may attend cases (limited to directly involved parties and authorized representatives). The law directly affects public transparency in family court proceedings, balancing openness with privacy needs.