The Freedom of Information Law, effective January 1, 1978, reaffirms your right to know how your government operates. It provides rights of access to records reflective of governmental decisions and policies that affect the lives of every New Yorker. The law preserves the Committee on Open Government, which was created by enactment of the original Freedom of Information Law in 1974.
“Your Right to Know” is a publication of the Committee on Open Government providing an overview of both the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and the Open Meetings Law (OML). It offers practical guidance with regard to obtaining records under FOIL including the time and manner in which an agency must respond to a FOIL request and the remedies available if it fails to do so. The publication includes sample language of a FOIL request and, if necessary, on appeal of an agency’s denial of access.
The publication also provides an overview of the OML, which gives the public the right to attend meetings of public bodies, listen to the debates and watch the decision making process in action.