NY A03425

Establishes mandatory deadlines for agencies to provide records after granting a FOIL request: 180 days for requests made before December 31, 2026; 90 days for requests in 2027; and 60 days for requests made on or after January 1, 2028

Prohibits agencies from denying requests solely because they are voluminous, burdensome, or due to insufficient staffing if the agency could hire an outside professional service to assist

Allows agencies to exceed the deadline only under limited circumstances: federal law prevents compliance, employees cannot safely access records, or the volume of records makes timely review unreasonable

Requires agencies that miss deadlines to provide written notification to both the requestor and the Committee on Open Government, signed by the agency commissioner, explaining the delay and efforts to expedite, plus monthly progress updates

Takes effect January 1, 2026