Assembly Bill A7581

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7581

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              May 23, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. KATZ -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Election Law

AN ACT to amend the election law, in  relation  to  instituting  greater
  transparence in contributions made to any elected officials

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section  14-125
to read as follows:
  S  14-125.  PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS
ONLINE. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY
THE  STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS FOR EACH COUNTY
OF THE STATE AND IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK FOR THE FIVE  COUNTIES  THEREOF
SHALL IMPLEMENT AND ESTABLISH AN ONLINE DATA BASE DETAILING ALL CAMPAIGN
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS FILED BY EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL RUNNING FOR
OR  VOTED INTO A PUBLIC OFFICE IN NEW YORK STATE AND FOR EVERY CANDIDATE
FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.  SUCH DATA BASE SHALL CONSIST OF ALL CAMPAIGN  FINAN-
CIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS FILED IN CONNECTION WITH EACH ELECTION (PRIMARY,
GENERAL  AND  SPECIAL)  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION 14-108 OF THIS ARTICLE AND
NYCRR 6200.2.
  (A) A LINK TO SUCH DATA BASE SHALL BE CLEARLY VISIBLE ON  THE  OPENING
PAGE  OF  THE  WEBSITE FOR THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND THE BOARD OF
ELECTIONS OF EACH COUNTY  AND  SHALL  BE  ENTITLED  "CAMPAIGN  FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE REPORTS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CANDIDATES IN YOUR COUNTY".
IF,  AN  ELECTED  OFFICIAL  OR  CANDIDATE FILES THEIR CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS WITH THE STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  THE  VISITOR
SHALL  BE DIRECTED TO THE NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WEBSITE.  BY
CLICKING ON SUCH LINK THE WEBSITE VISITOR SHALL BE ABLE TO VIEW  A  LIST
OF  ALL  THE  ELECTED  OFFICIALS WITHIN THE COUNTY AND CANDIDATES ON THE
BALLOT IN PRIMARY, GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS.  FROM  SUCH  LIST  THE
VISITOR  SHALL  THEN  BE ABLE TO SELECT THE NAME OF A PARTICULAR ELECTED
OFFICIAL OR CANDIDATE AND VIEW ALL REPORTED CAMPAIGN  FINANCIAL  DISCLO-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10763-01-3
              

A. 7581                             2

SURE  REPORTS  FILED  BY  SUCH  ELECTED OFFICIAL OR CANDIDATE WITHIN THE
CURRENT  CALENDAR  YEAR.  ADDITIONALLY,  CAMPAIGN  FINANCIAL  DISCLOSURE
REPORTS MADE IN PREVIOUS YEARS SHALL BE ARCHIVED ON THE SAME WEBPAGE FOR
A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS.
  (B)  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER  PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY ALL
ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CANDIDATES WHO MAINTAIN ANY  WEBSITE,  OTHER  THAN
THE  WEBSITE  MAINTAINED  FOR  SERVICE IN THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITY, SHALL
ESTABLISH A CLEARLY VISIBLE LINK ENTITLED "MY CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL DISCLO-
SURE REPORTS".  SUCH LINK SHALL DIRECT WEBSITE VISITORS TO THE STATE  OR
THEIR  RESPECTIVE  BOARD OF ELECTIONS COUNTY WEBSITE. ALL CANDIDATES FOR
PUBLIC OFFICE SHALL BE REQUIRED ON THEIR CAMPAIGN WEBSITE OR  SITE  THAT
INCLUDES  CAMPAIGN INFORMATION TO ESTABLISH A CLEARLY VISIBLE LINK ENTI-
TLED "MY CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS" ON THEIR HOME PAGE. SUCH
LINK SHALL DIRECT WEBSITE VISITORS TO  THE  STATE  OR  THEIR  RESPECTIVE
BOARD OF ELECTIONS COUNTY WEBSITE.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION ANY
WEBSITE  WHICH  CONTAINS  INFORMATION  ON AN ELECTED OFFICIAL'S CAMPAIGN
SHALL BE CONSIDERED A CAMPAIGN WEBSITE.
  2. (A) ALL  THREE  CAMPAIGN  FINANCIAL  DISCLOSURE  REPORTS  FILED  IN
CONNECTION  WITH  EACH ELECTION: THIRTY-TWO DAY PRE-ELECTION; ELEVEN DAY
PRE-ELECTION; TEN DAY POST-ELECTION  FOR  PRIMARY  ELECTIONS  (ONLY  FOR
THOSE  PARTICIPATING  FINANCIALLY  IN  THE PRIMARY); OR TWENTY-SEVEN DAY
POST-ELECTION FOR GENERAL OR SPECIAL ELECTIONS SHALL BE  MADE  AVAILABLE
ON  THE  STATE  OR COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS WEBSITE WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF
THEIR FILING DATE.
  (B) CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE PERIODIC REPORTS SHALL ALSO BE  MADE
AVAILABLE ON THE CITY, COUNTY OR STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WEBSITES WITH-
IN  FIVE  DAYS  OF  THEIR  FILING DATE AS SPECIFIED IN THE ANNUAL FILING
CALENDAR.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  apply  to  all
campaign  financial  disclosure  reports  filed  one hundred twenty days
after this act shall have become a law.