N.Y. Senator’s bill would subject Port Authority to FOIL laws

In the aftermath of a political scandal that rocked the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a New York state senator has introduced a bill that would subject the agency to freedom of information law requests from the public.

Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, introduced the "Port Authority Open Government Act" (S.6593) in hopes of closing a loophole in state law that exempts the Port Authority from traditional FOIL requests. According to Hoylman's office, the Port Authority is currently subject to a Freedom of Information Code, which is an internal policy and does not guarantee public access to records.

In December of last year, the New York state Committee on Open Government had advocated for the passage of similar legislation in their report titled Solidifying a Culture of Openness. Continue>>>
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