S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3683
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Election Law
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the election law, in relation to the classification of
   certain components of a controlled group of corporations as  a  single
   entity  for purposes of calculating contribution limits, and requiring
   the identification of the interests of certain contributors
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  2  of section 14-116 of the election law, as
 amended by chapter 260 of the laws  of  1981,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   2.  Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this section,
 any  corporation or an organization financially supported in whole or in
 part, by such corporation  may  make  expenditures,  including  contrib-
 utions,  not  otherwise prohibited by law, for political purposes, in an
 amount not to exceed five thousand  dollars  in  the  aggregate  in  any
 calendar  year;  provided  that  no  public  utility  shall use revenues
 received from the rendition of  public  service  within  the  state  for
 contributions  for political purposes unless such cost is charged to the
 shareholders of such a public service corporation. FOR THE  PURPOSES  OF
 THIS  SUBDIVISION,  ALL  THE  COMPONENT MEMBERS OF A CONTROLLED GROUP OF
 CORPORATIONS WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION  ONE  THOUSAND  FIVE  HUNDRED
 SIXTY-THREE  OF  THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF THE UNITED STATES SHALL BE
 DEEMED TO BE ONE CORPORATION.
   § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 14-118 of the election law,  as  amended
 by section 9 of part A of chapter 286 of the laws of 2016, is amended to
 read as follows:
   1.  Every political committee shall have a treasurer and a depository,
 and shall cause the treasurer to keep detailed, bound  accounts  of  all
 receipts, transfers, loans, liabilities, contributions and expenditures,
 made  by  the committee or any of its officers, members or agents acting
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00754-01-9

 A. 3683                             2
 
 under its authority or  in  its  behalf.  All  such  accounts  shall  be
 retained  by a treasurer for a period of five years from the date of the
 filing of the final statement with  respect  to  the  election,  primary
 election  or  convention  to  which  they pertain. No officer, member or
 agent of any political committee shall receive any receipt, transfer  or
 contribution,  or  make any expenditure or incur any liability until the
 committee shall have chosen a treasurer and depository and  filed  their
 names  in  accordance with this subdivision. There shall be filed in the
 office in which the committee is required to file its  statements  under
 section  14-110  of this article, within five days after the choice of a
 treasurer and depository, a statement giving the name and address of the
 treasurer chosen, the name and address of any person authorized to  sign
 checks  by such treasurer, the name and address of the depository chosen
 and the candidate or candidates or  ballot  proposal  or  proposals  the
 success  or  defeat  of  which  the  committee  is  to aid or take part;
 provided, however, that such  statement  shall  not  be  required  of  a
 constituted  committee  and  provided  further  that  a political action
 committee which makes no expenditures,  to  aid  or  take  part  in  the
 election  or  defeat  of a candidate, other than in the form of contrib-
 utions, shall not be required to list the candidates being supported  or
 opposed  by such committee and shall also disclose the name and employer
 for any individual who exerts operational  control  over  the  political
 action  committee  as  well  as  any  salaried employee of the political
 action committee.   SUCH A STATEMENT FROM ANY  COMMITTEE  OTHER  THAN  A
 PARTY  OR  AUTHORIZED COMMITTEE ALSO SHALL CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE ECONOMIC
 OR OTHER SPECIAL  INTEREST,  IF  IDENTIFIABLE,  OF  A  MAJORITY  OF  ITS
 CONTRIBUTORS,  AND  IF  A  MAJORITY  OF  ITS CONTRIBUTORS SHARE A COMMON
 EMPLOYER, SHALL IDENTIFY THE EMPLOYER. IF THE ECONOMIC OR OTHER  SPECIAL
 INTEREST  OR  COMMON  EMPLOYER ARE NOT IDENTIFIABLE, SUCH STATEMENT OF A
 MULTI-CANDIDATE COMMITTEE SHALL CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE ECONOMIC  OR  OTHER
 SPECIAL  INTEREST, IF IDENTIFIABLE, OF A MAJORITY OF ITS ORGANIZERS, AND
 IF A MAJORITY OF ITS ORGANIZERS SHARE A COMMON EMPLOYER, SHALL  IDENTIFY
 THE  EMPLOYER, AND IF ORGANIZED, CONTROLLED OR MAINTAINED BY AN INDIVID-
 UAL, SHALL IDENTIFY THAT INDIVIDUAL. Such statement shall be  signed  by
 the  treasurer  and  all  other  persons  authorized to sign checks. Any
 change in the information required in any statement shall  be  reported,
 in  an amended statement filed in the same manner and in the same office
 as an original statement filed under this section, within two days after
 it occurs, except that any change to the mailing  address  on  any  such
 statement filed at the state board may also be made in any manner deemed
 acceptable by the state board. Only a banking organization authorized to
 do business in this state may be designated a depository hereunder.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.