Bill Text: NY A07169 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Reduces campaign contribution limits for candidates for election to a public office or party position.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-06 - print number 7169a [A07169 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-A07169-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7169--A 2015-2016 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY April 27, 2015 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. KAVANAGH -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law -- recom- mitted to the Committee on Election Law in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to decreasing contribution limitations The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 14-114 of the election law, as 2 amended by chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, paragraphs a and b as amended 3 by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows: 4 1. The following limitations apply to all contributions to candidates 5 for election to any public office or for nomination for any such office, 6 or for election to any party positions, and to all contributions to 7 political committees working directly or indirectly with any candidate 8 to aid or participate in such candidate's nomination or election, other 9 than any contributions to any party committee or constituted committee: 10 a. In any election for a public office to be voted on by the voters of 11 the entire state, or for nomination to any such office, no contributor 12 may make a contribution to any candidate or political committee, and no 13 candidate or political committee may accept any contribution from any 14 contributor, which is in the aggregate amount greater than: (i) in the 15 case of any nomination to public office, the product of the total number 16 of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the state, excluding 17 voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.005, but such amount shall be 18 not less than four thousand dollars nor more than [twelve] ten thousand 19 dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of living adjustment 20 described in paragraph c of this subdivision, and (ii) in the case of 21 any election to a public office, [twenty-five] fifteen thousand dollars 22 as increased or decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00970-06-6A. 7169--A 2 1 paragraph c of this subdivision[; provided however, that the maximum2amount which may be so contributed or accepted, in the aggregate, from3any candidate's child, parent, grandparent, brother and sister, and the4spouse of any such persons, shall not exceed in the case of any nomi-5nation to public office an amount equivalent to the product of the6number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the state, exclud-7ing voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.025, and in the case of8any election for a public office, an amount equivalent to the product of9the number of registered voters in the state excluding voters in inac-10tive status, multiplied by $.025]. 11 b. In any other election for party position or for election to a 12 public office or for nomination for any such office, no contributor may 13 make a contribution to any candidate or political committee and no 14 candidate or political committee may accept any contribution from any 15 contributor, which is in the aggregate amount greater than: (i) in the 16 case of any election for party position, or for nomination to public 17 office, the product of the total number of enrolled voters in the candi- 18 date's party in the district in which he is a candidate, excluding 19 voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.05, and (ii) in the case of 20 any election for a public office, the product of the total number of 21 registered voters in the district, excluding voters in inactive status, 22 multiplied by $.05[,]; but in no event shall any such maximum exceed 23 three thousand dollars or be less than one thousand dollars as increased 24 or decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in paragraph c 25 of this subdivision; however in the case of a nomination or election 26 within the city of New York for the office of mayor, public advocate 27 [or], comptroller, borough president or member of the city council, such 28 amount shall be [not less than four thousand dollars nor more than29twelve thousand dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of living30adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision; in the case of31an election within the city of New York for the office of mayor, public32advocate or comptroller, twenty-five thousand dollars as increased or33decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in paragraph c of34this subdivision] equal to the contribution limits set forth in para- 35 graph (f) of subdivision one of section 3-703 of the administrative code 36 of the city of New York; provided however in the case of a nomination or 37 election for state senator, such amount shall be [four] six thousand 38 dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of living adjustment 39 described in paragraph c of this subdivision; [in the case of an40election for state senator, six thousand two hundred fifty dollars as41increased or decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in42paragraph c of this subdivision;] in the case of [an election or] a 43 nomination or election for a member of the assembly, [twenty-five44hundred] three thousand dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of 45 living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision[; but in46no event shall any such maximum exceed fifty thousand dollars or be less47than one thousand dollars; provided however, that the maximum amount48which may be so contributed or accepted, in the aggregate, from any49candidate's child, parent, grandparent, brother and sister, and the50spouse of any such persons, shall not exceed in the case of any election51for party position or nomination for public office an amount equivalent52to the number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the53district in which he is a candidate, excluding voters in inactive54status, multiplied by $.25 and in the case of any election to public55office, an amount equivalent to the number of registered voters in the56district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.25; orA. 7169--A 3 1twelve hundred fifty dollars, whichever is greater, or in the case of a2nomination or election of a state senator, twenty thousand dollars,3whichever is greater, or in the case of a nomination or election of a4member of the assembly twelve thousand five hundred dollars, whichever5is greater, but in no event shall any such maximum exceed one hundred6thousand dollars]. 7 c. At the beginning of each [fourth] second calendar year, commencing 8 in [nineteen hundred ninety-five] two thousand seventeen, the state 9 board shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most 10 recent available monthly consumer price index for all urban consumers 11 published by the United States bureau of labor statistics and such 12 consumer price index published for the same month [four] two years 13 previously. The amount of each contribution limit fixed in this subdivi- 14 sion shall be adjusted by the amount of such percentage difference to 15 the closest one hundred dollars by the state board which, not later than 16 the first day of February in each such year, shall issue a regulation 17 publishing the amount of each such contribution limit. Each contribution 18 limit as so adjusted shall be the contribution limit in effect for any 19 election held before the next such adjustment. 20 § 2. Subdivision 10 of section 14-114 of the election law, as added by 21 chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows: 22 10. a. No contributor may make a contribution to a party or consti- 23 tuted committee and no such committee may accept a contribution from any 24 contributor which, in the aggregate, is greater than [sixty-two] twen- 25 ty-five thousand [five hundred] dollars per annum. 26 b. At the beginning of each [fourth] second calendar year, commencing 27 in [nineteen hundred ninety-five] two thousand seventeen, the state 28 board shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most 29 recent available monthly consumer price index for all urban consumers 30 published by the United States bureau of labor statistics and such 31 consumer price index published for the same month [four] two years 32 previously. The amount of such contribution limit fixed in paragraph a 33 of this subdivision shall be adjusted by the amount of such percentage 34 difference to the closest one hundred dollars by the state board which, 35 not later than the first day of February in each such year, shall issue 36 a regulation publishing the amount of such contribution limit. Such 37 contribution limit as so adjusted shall be the contribution limit in 38 effect for any election held before the next such adjustment. 39 § 3. Subdivision 3 of section 14-124 of the election law, as amended 40 by chapter 71 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as follows: 41 3. The contribution and receipt limits of this article shall not apply 42 to monies received and expenditures made by a party committee or consti- 43 tuted committee to maintain a permanent headquarters and staff and carry 44 on ordinary activities which are not for the express purpose of promot- 45 ing the candidacy of specific candidates, except that contributions made 46 for such activities to a party committee or constituted committee shall 47 be limited to twenty-five thousand dollars in the aggregate from each 48 contributor in each year. 49 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 50 it shall have become a law; provided, that contributions legally 51 received prior to the effective date of this act may be retained and 52 expended for lawful purposes and shall not provide the basis for a 53 violation of article 14 of the election law, as amended by this act; and 54 provided, further, that the state board of elections shall notify all 55 candidates and political committees of the applicable provisions of this 56 act within thirty days after this act shall have become a law.