New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)

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Disclaimer: The following material is for informational purposes. The New York State Office of Victim Services does not offer the following material as legal advice of any kind.

New York State’s Freedom of Information Law pertains to the public’s right to review certain government records. The text of the law can be found here. The Committee on Open Government is an office of the New York State Department of State, and they oversee all aspects of FOIL across the state. More information on the Committee on Open Government can be found here.

The New York State Office of Victim Services (OVS) wants victims, claimants and potential claimants to know that the records compiled for their claims are exempt from disclosure under FOIL.

Pursuant to OVS regulations (9 NYCRR 525.21) for purposes of FOIL, the Counsel to the OVS is designated as the Records Access Officer. To contact the Records Access Officer:

Records Access Officer
Office of General Counsel
NYS Office of Victim Services
AE Smith Building
80 S. Swan Street, 2nd FL
Albany, New York 12210

(518) 457-8066

E-mail – ovsinfo@ovs.ny.gov

 The Office of Victim Services has a Subject Matter List of the types of records it maintains, however some records may be excluded from disclosure under FOIL.  The most recent Subject Matter List can be found here.   Additional information about these lists and FOIL generally can be found here. 

 Pursuant to OVS regulations, the OVS shall accept requests for the inspection and copying of records during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm, excluding holidays). Records shall be made available for public inspection and copying at the following OVS offices:

The OVS accepts FOIL requests for its public records via:

Freedom of Information Law, Frequently Asked Questions and more information on how to make a FOIL request can be found here.