Assembly Bill A2826

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

                                  2826

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 20, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of A. KATZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CROUCH,
  DiPIETRO, FINCH, HAWLEY, LUPINACCI, TENNEY -- read once  and  referred
  to the Committee on Election Law

AN  ACT  to  amend  the election law, in relation to instituting greater
  transparency 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

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04429-01-5
              

A. 2826                             2

OFFICIAL  OR  CANDIDATE AND VIEW ALL REPORTED CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL DISCLO-
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.