Reporting on New York City: NYS Government
Overview
The Government of the State of New York is composed of three branches—executive, legislative, and judicial—in structure similar to the federal government:
- The executive branch is led by the Governor, who is elected every four years
- The legislature consists of a 63-member Senate (upper house) and 150-member Assembly (lower house), who together are responsible for drafting and approving changes to the laws of New York
- The judiciary is the New York State Unified Court System, which interprets and applies the laws of New York, and is comprised of appellate, superior, and locals courts
The New York State Constitution establishes the structure of government and enumerates the rights of citizens in the state. The Consolidated Laws of New York are the state's codified laws (also available in a searchable version). State rules and regulations are compiled in New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR).
Administration & Organization
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NYC Boundaries MapAn interactive map created by Beta NYC to easily view all of the administrative boundaries within the city. Use it to quickly find the districts for elected offices, police, sanitation, schools, and more.
Budgets, Operations & State Priorities
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FY2026 Executive BudgetThe current (Fiscal Year 2026) state budget. (See The Budget Process overview for to understand how the budget, which has earned the nickname "The Big Ugly," is made.)
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New York State RegisterThe official journal, published weekly, of the New York state government that contains information on proposed regulations and rulemaking activities. Also available as a PDF version.
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NYS Lobby FilingsProvides detailed information about lobbyists registered in New York State and their clients. Maintained by the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government; see the commission's Public Data page for Bi-monthly Lobbying Data Reports and other resources.
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Open Book New YorkState and local government financial records, including contracts and spending, from the State Comptroller.
Government Publications
There is no single digital repository of state government publications. Below are common sources for publications, both current and historic:
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Agency websitesGoing directly to government websites is the best bet for current and recent publications and reports. Tip: For publications starting around 2000, search for the agency's URL in the Wayback Machine to find archived versions of links and reports.
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New York State ArchivesThe State Archives, located and Albany, preserves and makes accessible recorded evidence documenting the state's history, governments, events, and peoples.
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New York State LibraryThe State Library, located in Albany, collects, preserves and makes available materials that support State government work.
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New York State Library Digital CollectionsDigitized and born-digital government documents, special collections, books, and more from the State Library.
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NYS/NYC Government Documents at ColumbiaThe Columbia University Libraries are a selective repository for state and city government publications, both print and digital, searchable in CLIO.
Data
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Open NYFree public data from New York State agencies, including many datasets about or including New York City.