When A Meeting Is Public
Pub. Off. Law § 104 — notice seventy-two hours ahead, and closed sessions only for listed reasons
In New York, the Open Meetings Law starts from a declaration: the public business is to be performed in an open and public manner, and citizens are to be able to observe, attend and listen to the deliberations and decisions that make public policy.
Who it covers. A public body is any entity of two or more members that needs a quorum to conduct public business and performs a governmental function, including its committees and subcommittees, and a meeting includes attendance by videoconference.
Notice. A meeting scheduled at least one week ahead gets public notice of its time and place to the news media, conspicuously posted at least seventy-two hours before; other meetings get notice at a reasonable time before, to the extent practicable. Videoconference locations and any live stream address are stated, and the notice is posted on the body's website when it can be.
Executive sessions. A body may close part of a meeting only on a majority vote of its total membership, taken in an open meeting on a motion naming the general subject, and only for listed purposes such as public safety, litigation, collective negotiations, a particular person's employment or medical history, examinations, or certain real property deals. No formal vote to appropriate public money may be taken in executive session.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionA board can go behind closed doors whenever it likes | What the law actually doesOnly by a majority of the total membership, in open meeting, for listed purposes |
| The assumptionNotice of a meeting is whatever the board decides | What the law actually doesA meeting set a week ahead is posted at least seventy-two hours before |
Minutes, enforcement in court, and records requests under the freedom of information law are not all on this page. What a particular situation carries is a question for a licensed New York attorney.
Sources for this section (4)
- Pub. Off. Law § 104 — Public notice
- Pub. Off. Law § 100 — Open meetings: legislative declaration
- Pub. Off. Law § 102 — Open meetings: definitions
- Pub. Off. Law § 105 — Conduct of executive sessions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New York attorney.