ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The Cuomo administration has announced the launching of a new website that provides access to the public records of dozens of New York state agencies and public authorities.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that Open FOIL NY is a centralized online location to file Freedom of Information Law requests with 59 state entities. The Democrat says it's the first time in New York that the public can make requests for government records through a single state website.

The website allows for requesting information from multiple state agencies at the same time.

While Cuomo calls the initiative "a giant leap forward," his administration often has been criticized by the media and good government groups for the long waiting periods commonly faced before any public information is released through FOIL requests.

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