Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 2024
The Secretary of State (secretary is responsible for
administering the Freedom of Information Law at the Department of State
(department) and designates the Public Information Officer as records access
officer and may designate assistant records access officers as
necessary.
(a) The records access
officer shall:
(1) coordinate the
department's response to public requests for access to reasonably described
records;
(2) provide information
concerning the nature and location of records;
(3) maintain a current list of records,
indexed according to subject matter, for public inspection;
(4) respond to all inquiries relating to the
availability to the public of the department's records pursuant to the Freedom
of Information Law;
(5) receive and
process requests for access to records in the manner prescribed by this
Part;
(6) receive and process
requests for the copying of records in the manner prescribed by this
Part;
(7) upon request indicate the
manner in which records are filed, retrieved or generated;
(8) receive the cooperation and assistance of
all personnel of the department in the performance of his functions under this
Part;
(9) prescribe the duties of
and supervise the assistant records access officer(s) described by the records
access officer; and
(10) charge and
receive for the copying of records the fee prescribed by section
96 of
the Executive Law.
(b)
Upon locating the records, the records access officer shall take one of the
following actions:
(1) make the records
available for inspection; or
(2)
make a copy available upon receipt of payment of fees described in section
96 of
the Executive Law; or
(3) deny
access to the records in whole or in part and explain in writing the reasons
for the denial.
(c) Upon
request, the records access officer shall certify that a record is a correct
copy upon receipt of payment of the applicable fee.
(d) If unable to locate the requested
records, the records access officer shall certify that:
(1) the records cannot be found after
diligent search; or
(2) the
department is not the custodian for such records.
