S787A-2013 Actions

• Apr 16, 2013: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO CODES
• Feb 25, 2013: NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED
• Jan 9, 2013: PRINT NUMBER 787A
• Jan 9, 2013: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

S787A-2013 Meetings

S787A-2013 Votes

S787A-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S787A

TITLE  OF BILL:  An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to
requiring  elected  officials  to  post  certain  information  regarding
contributions on his or her websites

PURPOSE  OR  GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:  Strengthens the provisions regarding
the posting of contributions  received  by  certain  elected  officials.
Criminal sanction impact.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section  1. Amends the Public Officers Law by adding a new section 61-a.
Requires the Governor, the Comptroller, the  Attorney  General  and  any
member  of  the Senate or Assembly to post on the homepage of his or her
websites a direct link to the Board of Elections website to such elected
official's campaign contributions. Requires all contributions over  two-
hundred  and  fifty dollars to be posted on the homepage of such elected
officials websites within thirty days of  receipt.  Specifies  that  the
exact  dollar  amount  of the contribution and the identity of the donor
shall be provided. Prohibits New York State employees from posting  such
information  on  the  campaign  websites  of  any elected official while
performing their duties as a state employee. Establishes a Class E Felo-
ny for willful violations of this section.

Section 2. Effective Date

EXISTING LAW: None

JUSTIFICATION:  The provisions of this legislation will require that the
Governor, Comptroller, the Attorney General and any member of the Senate
or Assembly post on the homepage of his or her websites, a  direct  link
to  the Board of Elections website to his or her campaign contributions.
Likewise, all contributions valued over two-hundred  and  fifty  dollars
will also be required to be posted on the homepage of the official's web
sites  within  thirty  days of receipt of the contribution. The specific
dollar amount and the identity of  the  donor  will  also  be  required.
Furthermore,  New  York State employees are prohibited from posting such
information while performing their duties as a state employee.  Deliber-
ate  failure to comply with the provisions of this legislation will be a
Class E Felony.

The public should have easy,  timely  access  to  information  regarding
contributions  to their elected officials. Currently this information is
only available  through  the  Board  of  Elections.    This  legislation
improves both transparency and access regarding contributions to elected
officials  and  provides  for  a  criminal  sanction  impact for willful
violation of its provisions.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:    2013:  S.787-A:  Amended,  Recommitted  to
Corporations,  Authorities  & Commissions 2012: S.96- Referred to Corpo-

rations, Authorities & Commissions  2011:  S.96  -  Defeated  in  Corpo-
rations, Authorities & Commissions 2010: S.8457B - Referred to Rules

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None to state.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.

S787A-2013 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 787--A
 2013-2014 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 (PREFILED)
 January 9, 2013
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  DIAZ  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern
 ment  Operations  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,   ordered
 reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public  officers  law, in relation to requiring
 elected officials to post certain information regarding  contributions
 on his or her websites
 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section 1. The public officers law is amended by adding a new  section
 61-a to read as follows:

 

S  61-A.  CONTRIBUTIONS POSTED ON CERTAIN ELECTED OFFICIALS' WEBSITES.
 1.  THE GOVERNOR, THE COMPTROLLER, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND  ANY  MEMBER
 OF THE SENATE OR ASSEMBLY SHALL:

 A.    POST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF HIS OR HER WEBSITES A DIRECT LINK TO THE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS WEBSITE TO SUCH ELECTED OFFICIAL'S CAMPAIGN  CONTRIB
 UTIONS.
 B.  POST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF HIS OR HER WEBSITES ALL CONTRIBUTIONS OVER
 TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF RECEIPT;  INCLUDING  THE
 EXACT AMOUNT OF EACH CONTRIBUTION AND THE IDENTITY OF THE DONOR.
 2.  SUCH  ELECTED  OFFICIAL SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT THE
 INFORMATION AS REQUIRED IN PARAGRAPHS A AND B OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
 SECTION IS POSTED, EITHER BY THE ELECTED OFFICIAL OR SUCH ELECTED  OFFI
 CIAL'S  DESIGNEE,  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER, THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL
 STAFF EMPLOYED BY THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WHILE IN THE COURSE OF  HIS  OR
 HER  DUTIES  AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE STATE, BE DESIGNATED FOR THE PURPOSES
 OF POSTING SUCH INFORMATION ON THE  CAMPAIGN  WEBSITES  OF  ANY  ELECTED
 OFFICIAL.
 3.  ANY PERSON WHO SHALL KNOWINGLY AND WILLFULLY VIOLATE ANY PROVISION
 OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE GUILTY OF A CLASS E FELONY.
 

S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00342-02-3

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