NY State Senate Bill 2017-S4964

Senate Bill S4964

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Requires elected officials to post certain information regarding contributions on his or her website

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 03, 2017	referred to investigations and government operations

2017-S4964 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:: Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:: Add §61-a, Pub Off L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S8457
2011-2012: S96
2013-2014: S787
2015-2016: S133

2017-S4964 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires elected officials to post certain information regarding contributions on his or her website; failure to comply with this provision of this section shall constitute a class E felony.

2017-S4964 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S4964

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public officers law, in relation
to requiring elected officials to post certain information regarding
contributions on his or her websites

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

Strengthens the provisions regarding the posting of contributions
received by certain elected officials. Criminal sanction impact.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1. Amends the Public Officers Law by adding a new section
61-a. Requires the Governor, the Comptroller, the Attorney General and
any member of the Senate or Assembly to post on the homepage of his or
her websites a direct link to the Board of Elections website to such
elected official's campaign contributions. Requires all contributions
over two-hundred and fifty dollars to be posted on the homepage of
such elected officials websites within thirty days of receipt.
Specifies that the exact dollar amount of the contribution and the
identity of the donor shall be provided. Prohibits New York State
employees from posting such information on the campaign websites of
any elected official while performing their duties as a state
employee. Establishes a Class E Felony for willful violations of this
section

Section 2. Effective Date

 EXISTING LAW :

None

 JUSTIFICATION :

The provisions of this legislation will require that the Governor,
Comptroller, the Attorney General and any member of the Senate or
Assembly post on the homepage of his or her websites, a direct link to
the Board of Elections website to his or her campaign contributions.
Likewise, all contributions valued over two-hundred and fifty dollars
will also be required to be posted on the homepage of the official's
web sites within thirty days of receipt of the contribution. The
specific dollar amount and the identity of the donor will also be
required. Furthermore, New York State employees are prohibited from
posting such information while performing their duties as a state
employee. Deliberate failure to comply with the provisions of this
legislation will be a Class E Felony.

This Legislation is supported by Member Organizations of the Fair
Elections for New York Campaign: Citizen Action of New York; Brennan
Center for Justice; Communication Workers of America District 1;
Community Voices Heard; New York Friends of Democracy; Public
Campaign; Public Citizen; Center for Working Families; Strong Economy
for All; Democracy Matters; Americans for Campaign Reform; Demos; ACT
NOW; and, United Auto Workers Region 9A.

The public should have easy, timely access to information regarding
contributions to their elected officials. Currently this information
is only available through the Board of Elections. This legislation
improves both transparency and access regarding contributions to
elected officials and provides for a criminal sanction impact for
willful violation of its provisions.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2016: S.133 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
2015: S.133 - DEFEATED IN INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
2014: S.787A - Referred to Investigations and Government Operations
2013: S.787A - Reported, Committed to Codes
2012: S.96- Referred to Corporations, Authorities & Commissions
2011: S.96 - Defeated in Corporations, Authorities & Commissions
2010: S.84578 - Referred to Rules

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to state.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.

2017-S4964 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4964
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 3, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  DIAZ, SQUADRON -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the  Committee  on  Investigations
   and Government Operations
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public  officers  law, in relation to requiring
   elected officials to post certain information regarding  contributions
   on his or her websites

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The public officers law is amended by adding a new  section
 61-a to read as follows:
   §  61-A.  CONTRIBUTIONS POSTED ON CERTAIN ELECTED OFFICIALS' WEBSITES.
 1.  THE GOVERNOR, THE COMPTROLLER, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND  ANY  MEMBER
 OF THE SENATE OR ASSEMBLY SHALL:
   A.    POST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF HIS OR HER WEBSITES A DIRECT LINK TO THE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS WEBSITE TO SUCH ELECTED OFFICIAL'S CAMPAIGN  CONTRIB-
 UTIONS.
   B.  POST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF HIS OR HER WEBSITES ALL CONTRIBUTIONS OVER
 TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF RECEIPT;  INCLUDING  THE
 EXACT AMOUNT OF EACH CONTRIBUTION AND THE IDENTITY OF THE DONOR.
   2.  SUCH  ELECTED  OFFICIAL SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT THE
 INFORMATION AS REQUIRED IN PARAGRAPHS A AND B OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
 SECTION IS POSTED, EITHER BY THE ELECTED OFFICIAL OR SUCH ELECTED  OFFI-
 CIAL'S  DESIGNEE,  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER, THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL
 STAFF EMPLOYED BY THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WHILE IN THE COURSE OF  HIS  OR
 HER  DUTIES  AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE STATE, BE DESIGNATED FOR THE PURPOSES
 OF POSTING SUCH INFORMATION ON THE  CAMPAIGN  WEBSITES  OF  ANY  ELECTED
 OFFICIAL.
   3.  ANY PERSON WHO SHALL KNOWINGLY AND WILLFULLY VIOLATE ANY PROVISION
 OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE GUILTY OF A CLASS E FELONY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07140-02-7

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