2019 New York Laws
REL - Rural Electric Cooperative
Article 2 - Purpose; Organization and Management; Powers
19-B - Whistleblower Policy.

§  19-b.  Whistleblower  policy. (a) Except as provided in subdivision
(c) of this section, the board of every rural electric cooperative shall
adopt, and  oversee  the  implementation  of,  and  compliance  with,  a
whistleblower  policy  to  protect  from  retaliation persons who report
suspected improper conduct. Such policy shall provide that no  director,
officer  or  employee  of a rural electric cooperative who in good faith
reports  any  action  or  suspected  action  taken  by  or  within   the
cooperative  that  is illegal, fraudulent or in violation of any adopted
policy  or  bylaw  of  the  cooperative   shall   suffer   intimidation,
harassment,  discrimination  or  other  retaliation  or,  in the case of
employees, adverse employment consequence.
  (b) The whistleblower policy shall include the following provisions:
  (1) procedures for the reporting of violations or suspected violations
of laws or cooperative policies  or  bylaws,  including  procedures  for
preserving the confidentiality of reported information;
  (2)  a  requirement  that  an  employee,  officer  or  director of the
cooperative be designated to administer the whistleblower policy and  to
report to the board or an authorized committee thereof;
  (3)   a   requirement  that  the  person  who  is  the  subject  of  a
whistleblower complaint not  be  present  at  or  participate  in  board
deliberations or vote on the matter relating to such complaint, provided
that  nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit the board from requesting
that the person who is subject to the complaint present  information  as
background  or  answer  questions  at  a  board  meeting  prior  to  the
commencement of deliberations or voting relating thereto; and
  (4) a requirement that a copy of the  policy  be  distributed  to  all
directors,  officers  and  employees.  For purposes of this subdivision,
posting the policy on the cooperative's website or at the  cooperative's
offices  in a conspicuous location accessible to employees are among the
methods a cooperative may use to satisfy the distribution requirement.
  (c) A rural electric cooperative that  has  adopted  and  possesses  a
whistleblower  policy  pursuant  to federal, state or local laws that is
substantially consistent with the provisions of subdivision (b) of  this
section shall be deemed in compliance with provisions of this section.
  (d)  Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to relieve any rural
electric cooperative from any additional  requirements  in  relation  to
internal  compliance, retaliation, or document retention required by any
other law or rule.