Bill Text: NY A10237 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Reduces campaign contribution limits for candidates for election to a public office or party position to a maximum of $2,800.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-04-02 - referred to election law [A10237 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A10237-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10237

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      April 2, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. ROZIC -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Election Law

        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] two thou-
    19  sand eight hundred dollars as increased or  decreased  by  the  cost  of
    20  living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision, and (ii)
    21  in  the  case of any election to a public office, [twenty-five] not more
    22  than two thousand eight hundred dollars as increased or decreased by the
    23  cost of living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision[;
    24  provided however, that the maximum amount which may be so contributed or
    25  accepted, in the aggregate, from any candidate's child,  parent,  grand-
    26  parent,  brother  and  sister, and the spouse of any such persons, shall
    27  not exceed in the case of any nomination  to  public  office  an  amount
    28  equivalent to the product of the number of enrolled voters in the candi-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02341-03-9
        A. 10237                            2

     1  date's  party  in the state, excluding voters in inactive status, multi-
     2  plied by $.025, and in the case of any election for a public office,  an
     3  amount  equivalent  to the product of the number of registered voters in
     4  the state excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.025].
     5    b.  In  any  other  election  for  party position or for election to a
     6  public office or for nomination for any such office, no contributor  may
     7  make  a  contribution  to  any  candidate  or political committee and no
     8  candidate or political committee may accept any  contribution  from  any
     9  contributor,  which  is in the aggregate amount greater than: (i) in the
    10  case of any election for party position, or  for  nomination  to  public
    11  office, the product of the total number of enrolled voters in the candi-
    12  date's  party  in  the  district  in  which he is a candidate, excluding
    13  voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.05, and (ii) in the  case  of
    14  any  election  for  a  public office, the product of the total number of
    15  registered voters in the district, excluding voters in inactive  status,
    16  multiplied by $.05[,]; but in no event shall any such maximum exceed two
    17  thousand  eight  hundred dollars or be less than one thousand dollars as
    18  increased or decreased by the cost of  living  adjustment  described  in
    19  paragraph  c of this subdivision; however in the case of a nomination or
    20  election within the city of New York for the  office  of  mayor,  public
    21  advocate  [or],  comptroller,  borough  president  or member of the city
    22  council, such amount shall be [not less than four thousand  dollars  nor
    23  more  than twelve thousand dollars as increased or decreased by the cost
    24  of living adjustment described in paragraph c of  this  subdivision;  in
    25  the  case  of  an election within the city of New York for the office of
    26  mayor, public advocate or comptroller, twenty-five thousand  dollars  as
    27  increased  or  decreased  by  the cost of living adjustment described in
    28  paragraph c of this subdivision] equal to the  contribution  limits  set
    29  forth in paragraph (f) of subdivision one of section 3-703 of the admin-
    30  istrative  code of the city of New York; provided however in the case of
    31  a nomination or election for state senator, such amount shall be  [four]
    32  not  more  than  two  thousand  eight  hundred  dollars  as increased or
    33  decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in paragraph  c  of
    34  this  subdivision;  [in  the  case of an election for state senator, six
    35  thousand two hundred fifty dollars as increased or decreased by the cost
    36  of living adjustment described in paragraph c of this  subdivision;]  in
    37  the  case  of  [an election or] a nomination or election for a member of
    38  the assembly, [twenty-five hundred] not more  than  two  thousand  eight
    39  hundred  dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of living adjust-
    40  ment described in paragraph c of this  subdivision[;  but  in  no  event
    41  shall any such maximum exceed fifty thousand dollars or be less than one
    42  thousand dollars; provided however, that the maximum amount which may be
    43  so  contributed  or  accepted,  in  the  aggregate, from any candidate's
    44  child, parent, grandparent, brother and sister, and the  spouse  of  any
    45  such  persons,  shall  not  exceed in the case of any election for party
    46  position or nomination for public office an  amount  equivalent  to  the
    47  number  of  enrolled  voters in the candidate's party in the district in
    48  which he is a candidate, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied
    49  by $.25 and in the case of any election  to  public  office,  an  amount
    50  equivalent to the number of registered voters in the district, excluding
    51  voters  in  inactive status, multiplied by $.25; or twelve hundred fifty
    52  dollars, whichever is greater,  or  in  the  case  of  a  nomination  or
    53  election  of  a  state  senator,  twenty  thousand dollars, whichever is
    54  greater, or in the case of a nomination or election of a member  of  the
    55  assembly twelve thousand five hundred dollars, whichever is greater, but
    56  in no event shall any such maximum exceed one hundred thousand dollars].
        A. 10237                            3

     1    c.  At the beginning of each [fourth] second calendar year, commencing
     2  in [nineteen hundred ninety-five] two  thousand  twenty-one,  the  state
     3  board  shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most
     4  recent available monthly consumer price index for  all  urban  consumers
     5  published  by  the  United  States  bureau  of labor statistics and such
     6  consumer price index published for  the  same  month  [four]  two  years
     7  previously. The amount of each contribution limit fixed in this subdivi-
     8  sion  shall  be  adjusted by the amount of such percentage difference to
     9  the closest one hundred dollars by the state board which, not later than
    10  the first day of February in each such year, shall  issue  a  regulation
    11  publishing the amount of each such contribution limit. Each contribution
    12  limit  as  so adjusted shall be the contribution limit in effect for any
    13  election held before the next such adjustment.
    14    § 2. Subdivision 10 of section 14-114 of the election law, as added by
    15  chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
    16    10. a. No contributor may make a contribution to a  party  or  consti-
    17  tuted committee and no such committee may accept a contribution from any
    18  contributor  which,  in the aggregate, is greater than [sixty-two] twen-
    19  ty-five thousand [five hundred] dollars per annum.
    20    b. At the beginning of each [fourth] second calendar year,  commencing
    21  in  [nineteen  hundred  ninety-five]  two thousand twenty-one, the state
    22  board shall determine the percentage of the difference between the  most
    23  recent  available  monthly  consumer price index for all urban consumers
    24  published by the United States  bureau  of  labor  statistics  and  such
    25  consumer  price  index  published  for  the  same month [four] two years
    26  previously. The amount of such contribution limit fixed in  paragraph  a
    27  of  this  subdivision shall be adjusted by the amount of such percentage
    28  difference to the closest one hundred dollars by the state board  which,
    29  not  later than the first day of February in each such year, shall issue
    30  a regulation publishing the amount  of  such  contribution  limit.  Such
    31  contribution  limit  as  so  adjusted shall be the contribution limit in
    32  effect for any election held before the next such adjustment.
    33    § 3. Subdivision 3 of section 14-124 of the election law,  as  amended
    34  by section 1 of part B of chapter 286 of the laws of 2016, is amended to
    35  read as follows:
    36    3. The contribution and receipt limits of this article shall not apply
    37  to monies received and expenditures made by a party committee or consti-
    38  tuted committee to maintain a permanent headquarters and staff and carry
    39  on  ordinary activities which are not for the express purpose of promot-
    40  ing the candidacy of specific  candidates;  provided  that  such  monies
    41  described  in  this  subdivision  shall  be  deposited  in  a segregated
    42  account. Contributions made for such activities to a party committee  or
    43  constituted  committee  shall be limited to twenty-five thousand dollars
    44  in the aggregate from each contributor in each year.
    45    § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    46  it shall  have  become  a  law;  provided,  that  contributions  legally
    47  received  prior  to  the  effective date of this act may be retained and
    48  expended for lawful purposes and shall  not  provide  the  basis  for  a
    49  violation of article 14 of the election law, as amended by this act; and
    50  provided,  further,  that  the state board of elections shall notify all
    51  candidates and political committees of the applicable provisions of this
    52  act within thirty days after this act shall have become a law.