Technology (Local Government)

This bill allows local governments to post legal notices on their official websites instead of publishing them in newspapers. To use this option, a municipality must first pass a local law authorizing online notifications and then display clear public notices both physically within the community and prominently on its website. The online notices must remain visible for the same duration that state or local laws require for newspaper publication. This change aims to modernize how local governments share official information while maintaining transparency through required public awareness measures.

Bill A 8262 authorizes counties that do not have a newspaper published within their borders to post official local laws and notices via the internet. This bill exempts those specific counties from the current requirement to designate a newspaper for such publications. Instead, these counties would be permitted to use an official county website or another state-run digital platform for public announcements.

S 1027 updates rules for local government meetings held via videoconference. It requires most public bodies (like city councils and county boards) to have at least some members physically present for quorum, while allowing remote participation for specific reasons like disability or illness. The bill mandates closed captioning, real-time public access to meetings, clear public notice about virtual options, and posting recordings online within five business days. It also creates a municipal fund to support hybrid meeting infrastructure. These changes apply to all local governments in New York State that hold public meetings.

This bill allows counties without a locally published newspaper to post official local laws and notices online instead of through print media. It directly affects counties that lack a newspaper within their boundaries, removing the requirement to use print publications for legal notices. The key provision exempts these counties from traditional newspaper publication rules, authorizing them to use the county's official website or state-run digital platforms for all required notices. This change simplifies compliance for counties that cannot meet the newspaper publication requirement, ensuring residents still receive official information through accessible digital channels. The bill amends existing county law to update publication methods for modern accessibility.

Requires municipalities to test the quality of their public internet service including the average range, speed, effectiveness and security; requires each municipal corporation to annually post the results of such testing on its website and to include information on internet safety and security including how members of the public can protect themselves when using publicly available internet services.