Senate Bill S564

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    564
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. KRUEGER -- 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 special restrictions on
   campaign contributions for district attorney candidates

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  election  law  is  amended  by  adding a new section
 14-114-a to read as follows:
   § 14-114-A. SPECIAL RESTRICTIONS FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY CANDIDATES.  1.
 THE  STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL REQUIRE THAT CANDIDATES FOR DISTRICT
 ATTORNEY SHALL DISCLOSE TO THE BOARD THE ACCEPTANCE OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIB-
 UTIONS  FROM  ANY  LAW  FIRM  THAT  REPRESENTS  DEFENDANTS  IN  CRIMINAL
 PROCEEDINGS  IN  ANY COURT IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK OR FROM ANY LICENSED
 ATTORNEY EMPLOYED BY SUCH LAW FIRM.  THE  BOARD  SHALL  PROMULGATE  SUCH
 RULES AS IT DEEMS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT AND ADMINISTER THIS SECTION AND
 SHALL  PROVIDE  THAT  INFORMATION  REGARDING SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS SHALL BE
 ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
   2. THE TERM "LEGAL DEALINGS" MEANS THE  LEGAL  REPRESENTATION  OF  ANY
 INDIVIDUAL  OR  CORPORATE  ENTITY  IN  ANY  CRIMINAL  PROCEEDING BROUGHT
 AGAINST THAT INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE ENTITY BY ANY  DISTRICT  ATTORNEY'S
 OFFICE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
   3.  THE  TERM  "LEGAL DEALINGS DATABASE" MEANS A COMPUTERIZED DATABASE
 ACCESSIBLE TO THE BOARD THAT CONTAINS THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO HAVE  LEGAL
 DEALINGS  WITH  ANY  DISTRICT  ATTORNEY  IN THE STATE, INCLUDING ANY LAW
 FIRM, PARTNERSHIP OR CORPORATE ENTITY  THAT  REPRESENTS  INDIVIDUALS  OR
 CORPORATE  ENTITIES IN ANY CRIMINAL PROCEEDING IN ANY COURT IN THE STATE
 OF NEW YORK; ANY LICENSED ATTORNEYS EMPLOYED BY OR AFFILIATED WITH  SUCH
 A LAW FIRM, PARTNERSHIP OR CORPORATE ENTITY; ANY PERSON SERVING AS CHIEF
 EXECUTIVE  OFFICER,  CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OR
 PERSONS SERVING IN AN EQUIVALENT CAPACITY AT SUCH A LAW  FIRM,  PARTNER-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01758-01-5
 S. 564                              2
 
 SHIP  OR  CORPORATE  ENTITY;  ANY PERSON SERVING AS AN EQUITY PARTNER AT
 SUCH A LAW FIRM, PARTNERSHIP OR CORPORATE ENTITY; AND ANY PERSON WITH AN
 OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN SUCH A LAW FIRM, PARTNERSHIP OR CORPORATE  ENTITY.
 SUCH  DATABASE  SHALL  BE DEVELOPED, MAINTAINED AND UPDATED BY THE STATE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN A MANNER SO AS TO ENSURE ITS  REASONABLE  ACCURACY
 AND  COMPLETENESS;  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IN NO EVENT SHALL SUCH DATA-
 BASE BE UPDATED LESS FREQUENTLY THAN ONCE  A  MONTH.  SUCH  COMPUTERIZED
 DATABASE  SHALL  CONTAIN  A  FUNCTION TO ENABLE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO
 DETERMINE IF A PERSON IS IN THE DATABASE DUE TO SUCH PERSON HAVING LEGAL
 DEALINGS WITH A DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND SHALL PROVIDE A DATE  AS  TO  WHEN
 SUCH  PERSON  IS  CONSIDERED  TO HAVE BEGUN HAVING LEGAL DEALINGS WITH A
 DISTRICT ATTORNEY PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   4. A PERSON SHALL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE LEGAL DEALINGS WITH A DISTRICT
 ATTORNEY AS OF THE DATE THE PERSON'S NAME IS ENTERED IN THE "LEGAL DEAL-
 INGS DATABASE", AS SUCH DATE IS INDICATED IN SUCH DATABASE, OR THE  DATE
 THE  PERSON  BEGAN  HAVING LEGAL DEALINGS WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AS
 SUCH DATE IS INDICATED IN THE DATABASE, WHICHEVER IS EARLIER.
   5. A CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY  OR  SUCH  CANDIDATE'S  PRINCIPAL
 COMMITTEE  MAY  NOT ACCEPT, EITHER DIRECTLY OR BY TRANSFER, ANY CONTRIB-
 UTION OR CONTRIBUTIONS FOR A COVERED ELECTION IN WHICH THE CANDIDATE  IS
 A PARTICIPATING CANDIDATE FROM A PERSON OR ENTITY WHO HAS LEGAL DEALINGS
 WITH  A  DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SUBDIVI-
 SION TWO OF THIS SECTION, IF THE AGGREGATE OF SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUCH
 CANDIDATE FROM SUCH PERSON FOR ALL COVERED ELECTIONS IN THE SAME  CALEN-
 DAR  YEAR  EXCEEDS  THREE  HUNDRED  TWENTY  DOLLARS. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY
 PROVISION  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  THE  LIMITATIONS   ON   CONTRIBUTIONS
 CONTAINED  HEREIN  SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY CONTRIBUTION MADE BY A NATURAL
 PERSON WHO HAS LEGAL DEALINGS WITH A DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO A  PARTICIPAT-
 ING CANDIDATE OR SUCH CANDIDATE'S PRINCIPAL COMMITTEE WHERE SUCH PARTIC-
 IPATING CANDIDATE IS THE CONTRIBUTOR, OR WHERE SUCH PARTICIPATING CANDI-
 DATE  IS  THE  CONTRIBUTOR'S  PARENT, SPOUSE, DOMESTIC PARTNER, SIBLING,
 CHILD, GRANDCHILD, AUNT, UNCLE, COUSIN, NIECE OR NEPHEW BY BLOOD  OR  BY
 MARRIAGE.
   6.  EACH  DISTRICT  ATTORNEY  CANDIDATE AND SUCH CANDIDATE'S PRINCIPAL
 COMMITTEE SHALL REPORT TO THE BOARD EVERY CONTRIBUTION, LOAN, GUARANTEE,
 OR OTHER SECURITY FOR SUCH LOAN  RECEIVED  BY  THE  CANDIDATE  AND  SUCH
 COMMITTEE,  THE FULL NAME, RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS, OCCUPATION, EMPLOYER AND
 BUSINESS ADDRESS OF EACH CONTRIBUTOR, LENDER, GUARANTOR OR  PROVIDER  OF
 SECURITY AND OF EACH PERSON OR ENTITY WHICH IS THE INTERMEDIARY FOR SUCH
 CONTRIBUTION,  LOAN, GUARANTEE, OR OTHER SECURITY FOR SUCH LOAN. DISCLO-
 SURE REPORTS SHALL BE SUBMITTED AT SUCH TIMES AND IN SUCH  FORM  AS  THE
 BOARD SHALL REQUIRE AND SHALL BE CLEARLY LEGIBLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.