S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2266
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 17, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  KAVANAGH,  LUPARDO,  ABINANTI,  ROZIC, RYAN,
   O'DONNELL, SEAWRIGHT, COLTON, GOTTFRIED, GALEF --  Multi-Sponsored  by
   --  M.  of A. GLICK, McDONALD, THIELE -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to decreasing contribution
   limitations

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.    Subdivision 1 of section 14-114 of the election law, as
 amended by chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, paragraphs a and b as amended
 by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
   1. The following limitations apply to all contributions to  candidates
 for election to any public office or for nomination for any such office,
 or  for  election  to  any  party positions, and to all contributions to
 political committees working directly or indirectly with  any  candidate
 to  aid or participate in such candidate's nomination or election, other
 than any contributions to any party committee or constituted committee:
   a. In any election for a public office to be voted on by the voters of
 the entire state, or for nomination to any such office,  no  contributor
 may  make a contribution to any candidate or political committee, and no
 candidate or political committee may accept any  contribution  from  any
 contributor,  which is in the aggregate amount greater than:  (i) in the
 case of any nomination to public office, the product of the total number
 of enrolled voters in the candidate's  party  in  the  state,  excluding
 voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.005, but such amount shall be
 not  less than four thousand dollars nor more than [twelve] TEN thousand
 dollars as increased or decreased  by  the  cost  of  living  adjustment
 described  in  paragraph  c of this subdivision, and (ii) in the case of
 any election to a public office, [twenty-five] FIFTEEN thousand  dollars
 as  increased or decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in
 paragraph c of this subdivision[; provided  however,  that  the  maximum
 amount  which  may be so contributed or accepted, in the aggregate, from
 any candidate's child, parent, grandparent, brother and sister, and  the
 spouse  of  any  such persons, shall not exceed in the case of any nomi-
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03065-01-7

 A. 2266                             2

 nation to public office an amount  equivalent  to  the  product  of  the
 number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the state, exclud-
 ing  voters  in inactive status, multiplied by $.025, and in the case of
 any election for a public office, an amount equivalent to the product of
 the  number  of registered voters in the state excluding voters in inac-
 tive status, multiplied by $.025].
   b. In any other election for party  position  or  for  election  to  a
 public  office or for nomination for any such office, no contributor may
 make a contribution to any  candidate  or  political  committee  and  no
 candidate  or  political  committee may accept any contribution from any
 contributor, which is in the aggregate amount greater than: (i)  in  the
 case  of  any  election  for party position, or for nomination to public
 office, the product of the total number of enrolled voters in the candi-
 date's party in the district in  which  he  is  a  candidate,  excluding
 voters  in  inactive status, multiplied by $.05, and (ii) in the case of
 any election for a public office, the product of  the  total  number  of
 registered  voters in the district, excluding voters in inactive status,
 multiplied by $.05[,]; BUT IN NO EVENT SHALL  ANY  SUCH  MAXIMUM  EXCEED
 THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR BE LESS THAN ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS AS INCREASED
 OR  DECREASED  BY THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH C
 OF THIS SUBDIVISION; however in the case of  a  nomination  OR  ELECTION
 within  the  city  of  New York for the office of mayor, public advocate
 [or], comptroller, BOROUGH PRESIDENT OR MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, such
 amount shall be [not less than  four  thousand  dollars  nor  more  than
 twelve  thousand dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of living
 adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision; in the case  of
 an  election within the city of New York for the office of mayor, public
 advocate or comptroller, twenty-five thousand dollars  as  increased  or
 decreased  by  the cost of living adjustment described in paragraph c of
 this subdivision] EQUAL TO THE CONTRIBUTION LIMITS SET  FORTH  IN  PARA-
 GRAPH (F) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION 3-703 OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
 OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; PROVIDED HOWEVER in the case of a nomination OR
 ELECTION  for  state  senator,  SUCH AMOUNT SHALL BE [four] SIX thousand
 dollars as increased or decreased  by  the  cost  of  living  adjustment
 described  in  paragraph  c  of  this  subdivision;  [in  the case of an
 election for state senator, six thousand two hundred  fifty  dollars  as
 increased  or  decreased  by  the cost of living adjustment described in
 paragraph c of this subdivision;] in the case  of  [an  election  or]  A
 nomination  OR  ELECTION  for  a  member  of  the assembly, [twenty-five
 hundred] THREE THOUSAND dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of
 living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision[; but  in
 no event shall any such maximum exceed fifty thousand dollars or be less
 than  one  thousand  dollars;  provided however, that the maximum amount
 which may be so contributed or accepted,  in  the  aggregate,  from  any
 candidate's  child,  parent,  grandparent,  brother  and sister, and the
 spouse of any such persons, shall not exceed in the case of any election
 for party position or nomination for public office an amount  equivalent
 to  the  number  of  enrolled  voters  in  the  candidate's party in the
 district in which he  is  a  candidate,  excluding  voters  in  inactive
 status,  multiplied  by  $.25  and in the case of any election to public
 office, an amount equivalent to the number of registered voters  in  the
 district,  excluding  voters  in inactive status, multiplied by $.25; or
 twelve hundred fifty dollars, whichever is greater, or in the case of  a
 nomination  or  election  of  a  state senator, twenty thousand dollars,
 whichever is greater, or in the case of a nomination or  election  of  a
 member  of  the assembly twelve thousand five hundred dollars, whichever

 A. 2266                             3

 is greater, but in no event shall any such maximum  exceed  one  hundred
 thousand dollars].
   c.  At the beginning of each [fourth] SECOND calendar year, commencing
 in [nineteen hundred ninety-five] TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN, the state board
 shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most recent
 available monthly consumer price index for all urban consumers published
 by the United States bureau of labor statistics and such consumer  price
 index  published  for  the  same  month [four] TWO years previously. The
 amount of each contribution limit fixed in  this  subdivision  shall  be
 adjusted  by the amount of such percentage difference to the closest one
 hundred dollars by the state board which, not later than the  first  day
 of  February  in each such year, shall issue a regulation publishing the
 amount of each such contribution limit. Each contribution  limit  as  so
 adjusted shall be the contribution limit in effect for any election held
 before the next such adjustment.
   § 2. Subdivision 10 of section 14-114 of the election law, as added by
 chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
   10.  a.  No  contributor may make a contribution to a party or consti-
 tuted committee and no such committee may accept a contribution from any
 contributor which, in the aggregate, is greater than  [sixty-two]  TWEN-
 TY-FIVE thousand [five hundred] dollars per annum.
   b.  At the beginning of each [fourth] SECOND calendar year, commencing
 in [nineteen hundred ninety-five] TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN, the state board
 shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most recent
 available monthly consumer price index for all urban consumers published
 by the United States bureau of labor statistics and such consumer  price
 index  published  for  the  same  month [four] TWO years previously. The
 amount of such contribution limit fixed in paragraph a of this  subdivi-
 sion  shall  be  adjusted by the amount of such percentage difference to
 the closest one hundred dollars by the state board which, not later than
 the first day of February in each such year, shall  issue  a  regulation
 publishing  the  amount  of  such  contribution limit. Such contribution
 limit as so adjusted shall be the contribution limit in effect  for  any
 election held before the next such adjustment.
   §  3.  Subdivision 3 of section 14-124 of the election law, as amended
 by section 1 of part B of chapter 286 of the laws of 2016, is amended to
 read as follows:
   3. The contribution and receipt limits of this article shall not apply
 to monies received and expenditures made by a party committee or consti-
 tuted committee to maintain a permanent headquarters and staff and carry
 on ordinary activities which are not for the express purpose of  promot-
 ing  the  candidacy  of  specific  candidates; provided that such monies
 described in  this  subdivision  shall  be  deposited  in  a  segregated
 account.  CONTRIBUTIONS MADE FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES TO A PARTY COMMITTEE OR
 CONSTITUTED COMMITTEE SHALL BE LIMITED TO TWENTY-FIVE  THOUSAND  DOLLARS
 IN THE AGGREGATE FROM EACH CONTRIBUTOR IN EACH YEAR.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall  have  become  a  law;  provided,  that  contributions legally
 received prior to the effective date of this act  may  be  retained  and
 expended  for  lawful  purposes  and  shall  not provide the basis for a
 violation of article 14 of the election law, as amended by this act; and
 provided, further, that the state board of elections  shall  notify  all
 candidates and political committees of the applicable provisions of this
 act within thirty days after this act shall have become a law.