Access to public records in NY still problematic at many agencies

By Molly Burke, Times Union Capitol Bureau, May 5, 2024

The New York Coalition for Open Government filed requests with 70 state agencies seeking information on how they handle requests for records

A nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization is calling on New York agencies to perform better tracking of Freedom of Information Law requests after it sought and reviewed data from about 70 agencies.

The New York Coalition for Open Government, which is made up of advocates for transparent government and seeks more “freedom of information,” requested information from agencies about the number of requests they have received, the results of those requests, the processing times and the rate and results of appeals.

The state continues to have a backlog of Freedom of Information Law requests, including the state Department of Labor and Department of Health, which have in some instances not provided records to the Times Union for information that was requested more than three years ago.