Senate Bill S3301

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3301
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 20, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  GIANARIS,  ADDABBO,  HOYLMAN,  SERRANO, SQUADRON,
   STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and  when  printed  to  be
   committed to the Committee on Elections
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to contributions to candi-
   dates and political committees

   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]  SIX  thou-
 sand 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]  SUCH  public  office,  [twenty-five]  SIX  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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07243-01-7

 S. 3301                             2
 
 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  nomination to public office an amount equivalent to the product
 of  the number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the state,
 excluding 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 inactive 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, however in the case of a nomination within the  city
 of  New  York  for  the office of mayor, public advocate or comptroller,
 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; in the case of a  nomination  OR  ELECTION  for  state
 senator, four 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  nomination  for  a  member  of  the assembly, [twenty-five
 hundred] TWO 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
 is  greater,  but  in no event shall any such maximum exceed one hundred
 thousand dollars.
   c. At the beginning of each fourth calendar year, commencing in [nine-
 teen hundred ninety-five] TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-FOUR,  the  state  board
 shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most recent

 S. 3301                             3
 
 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 years previously. The amount  of
 each contribution limit fixed AND EXPRESSLY IDENTIFIED FOR ADJUSTMENT 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. This act shall take effect immediately.