The New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) issued a Request for Quotes (RFQ) on Monday, to secure a software platform to streamline the state’s process in receiving, processing and responding to FOIL requests.
FOIL allows the public access to government agencies’ records, with some exceptions. New York defines ‘record’ as “any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with, or for this agency, in any physical form whatsoever,” which can range from maps to reports, photos, renderings, digital files, papers, manuals and more.
Members of the public can request information, such as building inspection reports or neighborhood planning from the relevant agency via mail, e-mail or fax. It can take months before requests receive a response.
However, implementing a software platform could equip agencies to respond to requests more quickly and efficiently.
“Today’s announcement is a major step froward for all New Yorkers who believe that state government should be open, honest, transparent and accountable,” ITS Chief Information Officer Angelo Riddick said.
The RFQ builds off efforts Governor Kathy Hochul has made to increase transparency between the state and public.
In October 2021, Hochul announced that agencies are no longer required to send FOIL requests to the Executive Chamber for review, and instead they would be processed directly through the respective agency’s general counsel.
The governor also began requiring agencies to identify and publicly post frequently requested documents for easy access.
According to the governor’s office, ITS expects a contract to be finalized in the coming weeks.
“I commend Governor Hochul for her commitment to breaking down the barriers [and] to sharing information and data with the public in a timely way. ITS is proud to assist the Governor in executing her vision of what is possible when openness and transparency becomes the rule and not the exception,” Riddick said.
The governor’s office also noted that more than 400 FOIL requests have been processed and completed by the Executive Chamber since Hochul took office, which is more in seven months than all of 2019 (323 requests completed) and all of 2020 (368 request completed).
The governor said she is proud of the work her administration has done so far to increase government transparency and accountability.
“We’re taking meaningful action to streamline the process to access public records, so journalists and members of the public can more easily access information to which they are entitled,” she added.
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