NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7050

Senate Bill S7050

Signed By Governor

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Prohibits municipal officers or employees from displaying political advertisements on or within public buildings and various other locations

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - Signed by Governor

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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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Nov 17, 2023	signed chap.666
Nov 13, 2023	delivered to governor
Jun 08, 2023	returned to senate passed assembly ordered to third reading rules cal.205 substituted for a124a
Jun 06, 2023	referred to local governments delivered to assembly passed senate ordered to third reading cal.1655 committee discharged and committed to rules
May 17, 2023	referred to local government

Votes

- Jun 6, 2023 - Floor Vote
  S7050
  
  47
  
  Aye
  
  15
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 6, 2023
      
      aye (47)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Chu
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Cooney
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Martinez
      
      Martins
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Myrie
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Thomas
      
      Webb
      
      nay (15)
      
      Borrello
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Gallivan
      
      Helming
      
      Lanza
      
      Mattera
      
      Murray
      
      O'Mara
      
      Oberacker
      
      Ortt
      
      Rhoads
      
      Stec
      
      Walczyk
      
      Weber
      
      Weik
      
      excused (1)
      
      Felder
  Jun 6, 2023 - Rules Committee Vote
  S7050
  
  16
  
  Aye
  
  5
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Rules Committee Vote: Jun 6, 2023
      
      aye (16)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Comrie
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Griffo
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Liu
      
      Mayer
      
      Parker
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Thomas
      
      nay (5)
      
      Helming
      
      Lanza
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      Stec

co-Sponsors

2023-S7050 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A124
Law Section:: General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:: Add §99-z, Gen Muni L; add §147, Pub Bldg L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: A5458

2023-S7050 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits municipal officers or employees from displaying political advertisements on or within public buildings and various other locations.

2023-S7050 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7050

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general municipal law and the public buildings law,
in relation to prohibiting municipal officers or employees from display-
ing political advertisements on or within public buildings and various
other locations

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation would prohibit a municipal officer or employee as
defined in this act from selling or displaying any political advertise-
ment on or in a public building, vehicle, flagpole, monument, sign or
any other permanent structure.

 
SUMMARY:

Section 1. Amends the general municipal law by adding section 99-z.

Section 2. Amends the public building law by adding section 147.

Section 3. Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The invaluable services of municipal officers and employees must remain
apolitical to ensure that every New Yorker has access to vital services
and feels welcome receiving them. Displaying political advertisements
for specific candidates or parties - including posters or stickers, in
municipal spaces, on municipal vehicles, or on a municipal officer's
clothing - can lead the public to believe that a particular municipal
department is endorsing a candidate for office.  The perception that
municipal governments are in support of certain candidates alienates
residents, and can cause unnecessary conflict in the workplace.

This legislation seeks to remove the impropriety of political advertise-
ments, which will remedy any perception of institutionally supported
bias, and remove discomfort when residents seek access to their govern-
ment's services.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

Senate:

2021-22: S4539-B; Passed Senate

Assembly:

2021-22: A5458; ordered to third reading rules cal.188.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S7050 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7050
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. SKOUFIS, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
 AN  ACT to amend the general municipal law and the public buildings law,
   in relation  to  prohibiting  municipal  officers  or  employees  from
   displaying  political advertisements on or within public buildings and
   various other locations
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  general  municipal  law  is  amended by adding a new
 section 99-z to read as follows:
   § 99-Z. MUNICIPAL OFFICERS OR  EMPLOYEES  PROHIBITED  FROM  DISPLAYING
 POLITICAL  ADVERTISEMENTS  ON  PUBLIC  PROPERTY. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "MUNICIPAL OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE" SHALL HAVE  THE  SAME  MEANING  AS
 DEFINED  PURSUANT  TO SECTION EIGHT HUNDRED OF THIS CHAPTER, EXCEPT THAT
 IT SHALL ALSO INCLUDE MEMBERS OF ANY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WHICH  IS
 PART OF SUCH MUNICIPALITY.
   (B)  "POLITICAL  ADVERTISEMENT"  SHALL  MEAN  ANY  POSTER, SIGN, FLAG,
 BANNER, PICTURE, STICKER, PATCH, BUMPER STICKER,  ARTICLE  OF  CLOTHING,
 ACCESSORY  OR  ANY  OTHER  ITEM  MEANT TO ADVERTISE OR PROMOTE A CERTAIN
 INDIVIDUAL FOR POLITICAL OFFICE.
   2. A MUNICIPAL OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, WHETHER PAID OR UNPAID,  SHALL  BE
 PROHIBITED  FROM  DISPLAYING  OR  CAUSING  TO BE DISPLAYED ANY POLITICAL
 ADVERTISEMENT ON OR WITHIN ANY PUBLIC BUILDING OCCUPIED IN THE DISCHARGE
 OF OFFICIAL DUTIES BY AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED OR HOLDING  OFFICE  IN  THE
 GOVERNMENT  OF  SUCH MUNICIPALITY, OR ON ANY PUBLIC FLAG POLE, MONUMENT,
 SIGN OR ANY OTHER PERMANENT STRUCTURE THAT  SUCH  MUNICIPAL  OFFICER  OR
 EMPLOYEE INTERACTS WITH AS  PART  OF THEIR  OFFICIAL CAPACITY, OR ON ANY
 UNIFORM,  ACCESSORY OR OTHER GEAR WORN OR USED BY A MUNICIPAL OFFICER OR
 EMPLOYEE AS PART OF THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITY, AS WELL AS ON OR WITHIN ANY
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02062-03-3
 S. 7050                             2

 
 MUNICIPALLY OWNED VEHICLE, VEHICLE OWNED BY A VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, OR
 ANY EQUIPMENT OWNED BY A MUNICIPALITY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
   3.  THIS  SECTION  SHALL NOT APPLY WHEN SUCH A POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
 APPEARS IN A BOOK, DIGITAL MEDIUM, MUSEUM, OR OTHERWISE SERVES AN EDUCA-
 TIONAL OR HISTORICAL PURPOSE, OR IN INSTANCES WHERE THE CERTAIN INDIVID-
 UAL WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF SUCH POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT IS DECEASED.
   § 2. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new  section  147
 to read as follows:
   §  147.  MUNICIPAL  OFFICERS  OR  EMPLOYEES PROHIBITED FROM DISPLAYING
 POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. 1.  FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "MUNICIPAL  OFFICER  OR  EMPLOYEE" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS
 DEFINED PURSUANT TO SECTION EIGHT HUNDRED OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL  LAW,
 EXCEPT  THAT IT SHALL ALSO INCLUDE MEMBERS OF ANY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPART-
 MENT WHICH IS PART OF SUCH MUNICIPALITY.
   (B) "POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT"  SHALL  MEAN  ANY  POSTER,  SIGN,  FLAG,
 BANNER,  PICTURE,  STICKER,  PATCH, BUMPER STICKER, ARTICLE OF CLOTHING,
 ACCESSORY OR ANY OTHER ITEM MEANT TO  ADVERTISE  OR  PROMOTE  A  CERTAIN
 INDIVIDUAL FOR POLITICAL OFFICE.
   2.  A  MUNICIPAL OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, WHETHER PAID OR UNPAID, SHALL BE
 PROHIBITED FROM DISPLAYING OR CAUSING  TO  BE  DISPLAYED  ANY  POLITICAL
 ADVERTISEMENT ON OR WITHIN ANY PUBLIC BUILDING OCCUPIED IN THE DISCHARGE
 OF  OFFICIAL  DUTIES  BY AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED OR HOLDING OFFICE IN THE
 GOVERNMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY BY WHICH  SUCH  OFFICER  OR  EMPLOYEE  IS
 EMPLOYED OR ANY AGENCY OR INSTRUMENTALITY THEREOF, OR ON ANY PUBLIC FLAG
 POLE,  MONUMENT,  SIGN  OR ANY OTHER PERMANENT STRUCTURE, AS WELL AS ANY
 OTHER LOCATION SPECIFIED PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-NINE-Z OF THE GENER-
 AL MUNICIPAL LAW THAT SUCH MUNICIPAL OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE INTERACTS  WITH
 AS PART OF THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
   3.  THIS  SECTION  SHALL NOT APPLY WHEN SUCH A POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
 APPEARS IN A BOOK, DIGITAL MEDIUM, MUSEUM, OR OTHERWISE SERVES AN EDUCA-
 TIONAL OR HISTORICAL PURPOSE, OR IN INSTANCES WHERE THE CERTAIN INDIVID-
 UAL WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF SUCH POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT IS DECEASED.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S7050

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Sponsored By

James Skoufis