Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay’s first bill signed into law, regarding transparency in local government
On February 28, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed A3923 into law, marking a legislative milestone for Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay, as this is her first sponsored bill to be officially enacted. This law reflects the needs and duties of local governments across New York State, ensuring transparent governance while providing flexibility for smaller municipalities, according to a press release.
What A3923 Does:
A3923 amends the 2024 legislation A2852A, which required all local governments to establish and maintain official .gov websites to enhance public access to government officials and information. While still promoting consistency and transparency, the new law adjusts the requirement to accommodate the unique needs of smaller municipalities by:
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Exempting municipalities with fewer than 1,500 residents from the .gov website requirement, allowing them to comply with transparency rules to the extent practicable. This includes Assembly District 4’s Villages of Belle Terre, Old Field, and Poquott.
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Providing alternative compliance options for municipalities with more than 1,500 residents, allowing them to meet the website requirement by hosting their information under an overlapping municipality’s official .gov domain.
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Clarifying website content requirements for municipalities with more than 1,500 residents that maintain .gov websites, ensuring that these .gov municipal websites include the essential information that municipalities are already required to provide to residents, such as:
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Hours of operation and contact details
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Names of elected officials
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Public notices, including election dates, public hearings, and board meetings
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Agendas and meeting minutes as required by the Open Meetings Law
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Local codes, laws, and resolutions
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Fiscal transparency reports, including annual budgets, independent audits, and financial plans
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Extending the deadline for compliance from 180 days to one year.
“This legislation takes into account the needs of smaller local governments, while providing greater government transparency and cybersecurity across New York State. It ensures that while transparency remains a cornerstone of good governance, smaller municipalities have the necessary flexibility to comply with the state regulation passed last year,” said Assemblywoman Kassay.
“With the prevalence of online scams, I am always looking for ways to increase cyber security. Only governmental entities can create a .gov website, so residents can more confidently navigate and interact with government websites, where they might be providing sensitive information,” she said.
“By ensuring that local governments have flexible options for securely sharing important public information rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, we are empowering municipalities to serve their residents in the way that suits their needs and abilities,” she added.
Assemblywoman Kassay’s office was advised that the Village of Port Jefferson is currently in process of migrating from a .com to a .gov website. The discussion about this migration began during Kassay’s tenure serving as a Port Jefferson Village Trustee.
“As Assemblywoman Kassay’s first bill to be signed into law, A3923 represents an important step forward in her legislative efforts to represent the needs of local governments, support fair and balanced policies, and uphold the values of transparency and security for our residents,” read the release.
