Adopted by The College Council of SUNY Old Westbury on December 19, 2024
Section 1 Purpose and scope:
- The people’s right to witness and observe the governmental decision-making process in action is basic to our society. Access to public portions of meetings of public bodies must be protected and maintained.
- We adopt these guidelines in order to provide direction concerning the procedures by which public meetings of this public body may be photographed, recorded and broadcast.
Section 2 Recording and Broadcasting Public Portions of Meetings:
- The public portion of any meeting of a public body may be photographed, recorded and broadcast.
- A public body may adopt reasonable rules governing the location of equipment and personnel used to photograph, record or broadcast the public portion of a meeting in order to ensure that the use of such equipment does not detract from or interfere with the deliberative process.
- There is no privacy interest in statements made during public portions of meetings of public bodies. Distaste or embarrassment shall not constitute a basis for prohibiting or limiting the photographing, recording or broadcasting of those present at a meeting.
Section 3 Rules for Recording and Broadcasting Public Portions of Meetings:
- Operation of equipment to photograph, record or broadcast a meeting is permitted unless it is obtrusive, disruptive, or interferes with the deliberative process or the right of persons in attendance to observe or listen to the proceedings.
- Use of equipment necessary to photograph, record or broadcast is permitted without notice to or express permission from the public body or those in attendance at the meeting.
- Use of equipment necessary to photograph, record or broadcast is permitted in a supervised or unsupervised manner.
- Use of special lighting or large equipment necessary to photograph, record or broadcast a meeting is permitted unless it is obtrusive or disruptive.
- Personnel who operate equipment necessary to photograph, record and/or broadcast a meeting shall be permitted to move about the room, as long as such movement does not disrupt or interfere with the deliberative process.
- Use of equipment necessary to photograph, record and/or broadcast a meeting shall not be limited to a location from which such equipment is not reasonably capable of photographing, recording and/or broadcasting.
- Persons operating equipment necessary to photograph, record and/or broadcast shall be given a reasonable opportunity to modify their actions in order to avoid interference with the deliberative process.
Section 4 Public notice:
These rules governing the operation of equipment necessary to photograph, record or broadcast a meeting shall be posted in a designated location. Written copies of such rules shall be provided upon request, free of charge, to those in attendance at or who seek to attend a meeting. Section 5 Severability: If any provision of these guidelines or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is adjudged invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall not affect or impair the validity of the other provisions of these regulations or the application thereof to other persons and circumstances.