Continuing Education Workshops for Directors & Trustees: Open Meeting Law

This Committee on Open Government education video, which gives an explanation of FOIL, as well as the Open Meetings Law, is available on the Department of State's website at www.dos.ny.gov , YouTube, as well as DVD upon request to the Committee by calling (518) 474-2518.
The Committee on Open Government is responsible for overseeing and advising with regard to the Freedom of Information, Open Meetings and Personal Privacy Protection Laws. The Freedom of Information Law pertains to the public's right to government records; the Open Meetings Law concerns the public's right to attend meetings of public bodies. Both of these statutes are based upon a presumption of access and, since their initial enactment, have undergone significant changes based largely upon recommendations made by the Committee.  

Mailing Address:
NYS Committee on Open Government
Department of State
One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue, Suite 650
Albany, NY 12231

Telephone: (518) 474-2518

Fax: (518) 474-1927

Executive Director, NYS Dept of State Committee on Open Government

Bob Freeman has worked for the Committee since its creation in 1974 and was appointed executive director in 1976. He received his law degree from New York University and a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Mr. Freeman has addressed numerous government related organizations, bar associations, media groups and has lectured at various colleges and universities. He has also spoken on open government laws and concepts throughout the United States, as well as Canada, the far east, Latin America and eastern Europe, and has taught the only course in an American law school on public access to government information.

He is the recipient of numerous honors, the most recent of which is the NYS Government Award for Excellence presented by the New York State Forum for Information Resource.