Research


Scope and Content Note

This series consists of hearing files and transcripts produced by standing and special committees of the State Assembly and filed with the hearing coordinator in the Assembly Program and Counsel Staff Office.

The hearing files contain lists of witnesses, public hearing registration cards for each speaker at a hearing, written statements submitted in lieu of appearance at a hearing, supporting printed material, notice of hearing with reply form for persons wishing to testify, rough notes on the hearing kept by Assembly staff, an "Activity Report" summarizing the proceedings at the hearing, and related correspondence. The hearing transcripts were made by commercial reporting services. The series is incomplete because some hearing transcripts never reach the Assembly Program and Counsel Staff Office (this is particularly true of hearings held outside Albany). Committee hearings are held pursuant to the Legislative Law.

L0002-92: This accretion consists of one set of camera master microfiche, plus one set of duplicate fiche, of over 1500 Senate and Assembly public hearing transcripts for hearings by special and standing legislative committees held during the 1980s.

The fiche is a product of a project conducted by the the Legislative Library to locate and film the transcripts in order to preserve them and promote their research use. The filming project seeks to make as complete a record as possible. Hearing transcripts are usually prepared by commercial reporting services; in the past some of them never reached the Assembly Program and Counsel Staff Office which files them.

The project uses holdings of the Program and Counsel Staff Office, the Legislative Library, and transcripts loaned for the project by the New York State Archives and the New York State Library. Project filming was done by the Senate Microfilm and Record Office.

L0002-94: This accretion documents hearings held by two Assembly committees: Small Business; and Commerce, Industry, and Economic Development. Material includes summaries of interviews, press releases, registrations, requests for hearings, background reports, and hearing transcripts. Most of the hearings documented deal with issues related to small business such as crime, minority discrimination, and business finance. There are no audio tapes in this accretion.

L0002-95: This accretion contains hearing transcripts, reports on issues, press releases, notes, and other background material regarding hearing issues. The accretion also contains bill files relating to issues of hearings. Most hearings were before the Committees on Environmental Conservation and Insurance. Most of the records relate to economics, business, and the environment. There are no audiotapes in this accretion.

L0002-96: This accretion consists of hearing transcripts and related material from the following Assembly standing committees: Committee on Aging; Committee on Environmental Conservation; Committee on Insurance; Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development; Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection; Committee on Solid Waste Management; Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Economic Development; and Committee on Oversight, Analysis, and Investigation.

There are a wide array of hearing topics, including: landfills; hazardous waste disposal; artists' resale royalties; gas pricing; small business assistance; health care costs; and beer distribution.

L0002-96A: This accretion consists of testimony, hearing transcripts and related materials from the Standing Committee for the Aging and from its joint hearings with the committees on Mental Health, Insurance, Labor, and Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

L0002-97: This accretion consists of transcripts of hearings of various assembly and senate standing and joint committees, including the assembly committees on Health, Insurance, and Higher Education, and the senate committees on Health, Child Care, and Insurance and Health. The bulk of the hearings relate to health matters, and date from 1988-1989. Topics include AIDS and persons with HIV; health insurance; access to health care; medical malpractice; patient confidentiality; and indoor air quality. There are no audiotapes in the accretion.

L0002-99: This accretion consists solely of audio tapes of the proceedings of various assembly hearings held around the state.