New York Assembly Bill A10868

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/8/26
• Refer: 4/8/26

Caption

Relates to the creation of a public database of projects funded in the state budget

Summary

This bill would amend the New York Executive Law to require the State Division of Budget to create and maintain a public online database of all projects funded through the state budget. The database would list each project’s funding amount and the last name of the legislator or legislators who submitted the funding request for that project. It would also include funds allocated to private organizations, including cases where those organizations are not otherwise required by law to disclose their funding sources. The database would have to be updated annually after the state budget is enacted and posted on the Division of Budget’s website. The bill is framed as a transparency measure intended to make budget spending and legislative sponsorship of funded projects easier for the public to track. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would add a new section 184 to the Executive Law and impose a new administrative duty on the Division of Budget to compile and publish budget-item data each year. It would affect state budget administration, legislative earmark tracking, and disclosure of appropriations to private organizations by centralizing information that may otherwise be scattered or not publicly visible. The measure would not itself change how projects are funded, but it would change how those funds are reported and made accessible to the public.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded opposition or committee debate in the provided materials, the bill appears to have a generally pro-transparency, accountability-oriented purpose. Its structure suggests support for public oversight of state spending and legislative requests tied to budgeted projects. No vote totals or transcript comments are available here, so there is no documented controversy in the provided record, but the subject matter commonly aligns with reform and disclosure efforts.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the requirement to identify the legislator or legislators associated with each funded project, which could raise concerns about singling out members, political scrutiny, or the characterization of budget items as member-driven earmarks. Another possible issue is the inclusion of funding to private organizations, especially where those entities are not otherwise required to disclose funding sources, which may raise questions about privacy, administrative burden, or how broadly the database should capture indirect or pass-through spending. No specific opposing or supporting arguments are recorded in the provided committee materials.