SUBSTANTIVE TRAINING
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Introduction to Project Sunlight
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Project Sunlight, an important component of the Public Integrity Reform
Act of 2011, is an online database that provides the public with an
opportunity to see what individuals and entities are interacting with New
York State government. See Chapter 399 Part A, § 4 of the Laws of 2011.
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The purpose of this training is to help state entities determine what needs
to be recorded in the database. For further guidance, please see the
Project Sunlight Policy and FAQ.
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For technical training on how to use the Project Sunlight database, please
see the Project Sunlight Technical training, available on the Statewide
Learning Management System.
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If you have questions about whether or not an appearance is covered
by Project Sunlight, please contact your Agency Liaison.
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What is covered by Project Sunlight?
In order for an interaction to be covered by Project Sunlight, it must
• Be an appearance,
• Between covered individuals, and
• Concern one of the five subject areas covered by Project Sunlight
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procurement,
rate making,
non-statutory regulatory matters,
agency-based judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings,
adoption or repeal of a rule or regulation.
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What is an appearance?
An appearance must be a substantive interaction that is meant to have an
impact on the decision making process of the state.
Appearances are:
• In-person meetings.
• Video conferences.
Written communications such as letters, faxes, forms, and emails are not
considered appearances, and do not need to be reported. Telephone
conversations are not considered appearances, and do not need to be
reported.
Appearances related to legislation and the budget are not covered by Project
Sunlight.
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Appearances, cont.
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There can be multiple appearances related to one matter. For example, a
lobbyist may meet with a state agency several times in an effort to repeal
a regulation. Each meeting is a separate appearance.
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The location of a meeting is irrelevant; it can take place in a government
office, at a vendor’s headquarters, or at a coffee shop.
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As a general matter, whomever initiated the interaction – whether it is the
state entity or the outside individual or entity – is irrelevant. However, if the
state entity wishes to meet with an outside individual or entity to gather
information, that communication does not need to be reported.
•
The formality of the interaction is irrelevant; an informal meeting and a
formal sales pitch can both be appearances.
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Appearances, cont.
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Merely ministerial interactions, such as scheduling a meeting, do not need
to be recorded.
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Participation in meetings which are open to the public, such as
conferences or meetings under the Open Meetings Law or where a record
of the meeting is otherwise available, does not need to be recorded.
However, communications outside that meeting may be covered, such as
an interaction after that meeting between a regulating agency and a
regulated party during which the regulated party advocates for the repeal
of a regulation.
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Appearances, cont.
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Confidentiality requirements imposed by federal or state statute, rule or
regulation always take precedence over the requirements of Project
Sunlight. Any interaction that an agency or authority treats as confidential
pursuant to law, rule, or regulation does not need to be reported.
•
Any appearance that if disclosed could endanger the life or safety of any
person does not need to be reported.
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Who/What is a “Covered Individual”?
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At the State entity?
• Appearances should be recorded if they are conducted before an
individual at the state agency who has the power to exercise agency
discretion in one of the five covered categories, or advises someone
who has that discretion
• A temporary worker or independent contractor who has discretion in
one of the five covered categories may also be covered by Project
Sunlight
• Agents of a state agency or authority, such as retained counsel, are
not covered
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The appearing entity?
• Appearances by both “external” (e.g., a lobbyist) and “internal” (e.g., a
general counsel) representatives of an entity must be reported
• Appearances by an individual appearing on behalf of him/herself must
also be reported
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Entities and Individuals that are
Excluded
• The following entities are categorically excluded from the reporting
requirement:
• Appearances by other state and local agencies and authorities, as well
as tribal governments and federal government representatives
• Appearances by elected or appointed officials, executive or legislative
employees, or judges or employees of the judiciary
• Individual inmates and parolees and their representatives before state
entities regarding their supervision and/or conditions of confinement
• Representatives of the media
• Persons under the age of 18
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Types of Appearances
An appearance must only be reported if it falls under one of the five following
categories:
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Procuring a state contract for real property, goods, or services
Rate making proceedings
Regulatory matters
Agency-based judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings
Adoption or repeal of a rule or regulation
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Procurement
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Appearances that are for the purpose of procuring a state contract,
whether or not a specific procurement is anticipated, must be reported.
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Accordingly, sales pitches may be considered appearances if they are
before a decision maker.
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However, appearances that occur during a Restricted Period under the
Procurement Lobbying Act, and are therefore part of the Procurement
Record, such as bid clarification meetings or bid interviews, need not be
reported.
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Procurement, cont.
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Appearances that are at the request of a state entity that are informational,
such as market research, do not need to be reported.
• For example, if an agency reaches out to a M/WBE firm to determine
interest in and availability to provide services or goods, that
communication need not be reported.
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Appearances following an award of a state contract do not need to be
reported.
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Appearances for the purpose of advocating for the receipt of
discretionary state funds that have already been appropriated must be
reported. However, requests for funding in the budget need not be
reported.
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Appearances related to procurements under $25,000 do not need to be
reported.
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Procurement, cont.
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Appearances at a public auction as a buyer or on behalf of a buyer need
not be reported. Agencies and authorities must still comply with any
other laws and regulations regarding responsive buyers and/or reporting
the final sale, if applicable.
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Appearances related to emergency procurements do not need to be
reported.
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Participation in widely-attended industry or professional conferences,
including attending panels, participating in training or educational
programs, or visiting booths on a show floor or exhibit hall is not
considered an appearance.
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Appearances related to revenue contracts must be reported. Gifts,
donations, or grants to the State that are not in exchange for real
property, goods, or services do not need to be reported.
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Rate Making
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Agencies that conduct rate-making should record all applicable
appearances that lead up to the setting of the rate.
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Appearances outside of a formal rate making that are attempts to
influence a rate should also be recorded.
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Once the rate has been set, the only interactions that need to be recorded
are appearances to attempt to influence the application of a rate to a
particular client or entity or are part of advocacy for future rate changes.
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Factual inquiries about rates that are purely informational need not be
reported. However, if the interaction then turns to advocacy about that
rate, the interaction may constitute a reportable appearance.
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Regulatory Matters
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A regulatory matter is one related to agency interpretation and
enforcement of regulations and existing law.
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An appearance regarding a regulatory matter need only be recorded if it
occurs before a state employee who has the capacity to make or influence
decisions about regulatory policy, as well as how a regulation should be
enforced or interpreted.
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The key is the level of discretion used when enforcing or interpreting an
agency’s regulations.
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Purely ministerial matters or interactions requesting information do not
need to be reported.
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Regulatory Matters, cont.
•Many agencies enforce regulations by conducting inspections. An inspection
itself, which is for information gathering purposes, is not to be reported in
Project Sunlight. Ancillary or subsequent communications related to an
inspection, such as contesting a finding, must, however, be reported.
•Individuals may also contact an agency to file a complaint or inform the
agency that a regulated entity is in violation of a regulation. Complaints, and
subsequent investigations into those complaints, do not need to be reported
in Project Sunlight.
•In addition, each agency shall maintain a list of the types of regulatory
matters that are not covered by Project Sunlight, and that list will be publicly
available on the Project Sunlight website.
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Judicial or Quasi-Judicial Proceedings
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Judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings are proceedings that take place
before a neutral arbiter at a state entity.
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The state must be a party to the proceeding for such an appearance to be
reported. If the state merely serves as a neutral arbiter or as a forum for
two outside parties (such as providing an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
for certain disputes), the proceeding need not be reported.
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For example, a challenge to a fine assessed by a state entity that takes
place before an ALJ would need to be reported. An enforcement action
undertaken by a state entity that requires the involvement of an ALJ would
also need to be reported.
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The name of the ALJ should be reported in Project Sunlight.
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Judicial or Quasi-Judicial Proceedings,
cont.
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Employee discipline matters, contractual grievances, and challenged to
performance reviews do not need to be reported.
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Any proceeding that is confidential pursuant to law, rule, or regulation does
not need to be reported.
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Litigation in the courts is not considered an appearance; nor are
settlement proceedings related to litigation in the courts.
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However, settlement negotiations related to otherwise covered judicial or
quasi-judicial proceedings must be reported.
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In addition, each agency shall maintain a list of the types of proceedings
that are not covered by Project Sunlight, and that list shall be publicly
available on the Project Sunlight website.
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Adoption or Repeal of a Rule or
Regulation
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An appearance must only be recorded under this category when an
outside entity (company or individual) is advocating for an adoption or a
repeal or amendment of a rule or regulation under SAPA and the state
employee they are interacting with plays a role in that decision making
process.
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This category only applies to rules and regulations, not statutes or budget
bills.
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Note, appearances regarding the application or interpretation of a rule or
regulation are covered under “Regulatory Matter.”
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Logistics
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The database will be available online at www.projectsunlight.ny.gov/login.
You will use your New York State Directory Service user ID and
Password to log on.
All meetings should be entered as soon as possible, but no later than 5
business days after they occur.
Each meeting need only be entered into the database once. Therefore, if
members from multiple state entities attend, only one person needs to
enter the appearance (but include all the state entities). The attendees
must decide who will be responsible for recording a multi-state-attendee
appearance.
State entities are responsible for internally assigning those staff members
who will be responsible for reporting the appearances.
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Remember:
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If you have questions about what needs to be recorded in the database,
please contact your Agency Liaison.
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This training and the accompanying FAQ cannot contemplate every novel
situation that can arise. Agencies and authorities should abide by the spirit
of the law and err on the side of broad disclosure.
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THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING IN THIS
TRAINING
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