Bill Text: NY A05491 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to contributions to candidates and political committees.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to election law [A05491 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A05491-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5491
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 12, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. CARROLL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Election Law
        AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to contributions to candi-
          dates and political committees
          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] six thou-
    19  sand 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]  such  public  office, [twenty-five] six thousand
    22  dollars [as increased or decreased by  the  cost  of  living  adjustment
    23  described  in  paragraph  c of this subdivision]; provided however, that
    24  the maximum amount which may be  so  contributed  or  accepted,  in  the
    25  aggregate,  from any candidate's child, parent, grandparent, brother and
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09070-01-9
        A. 5491                             2
     1  sister, and the spouse of any such persons, shall not exceed in the case
     2  of any nomination to public office an amount equivalent to  the  product
     3  of  the number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the state,
     4  excluding  voters  in  inactive  status, multiplied by $.025, and in the
     5  case of any election for a public office, an amount  equivalent  to  the
     6  product of the number of registered voters in the state excluding voters
     7  in inactive status, multiplied by $.025.
     8    b.  In  any  other  election  for  party position or for election to a
     9  public office or for nomination for any such office, no contributor  may
    10  make  a  contribution  to  any  candidate  or political committee and no
    11  candidate or political committee may accept any  contribution  from  any
    12  contributor,  which  is in the aggregate amount greater than: (i) in the
    13  case of any election for party position, or  for  nomination  to  public
    14  office, the product of the total number of enrolled voters in the candi-
    15  date's  party  in  the  district  in  which he is a candidate, excluding
    16  voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.05, and (ii) in the  case  of
    17  any  election  for  a  public office, the product of the total number of
    18  registered voters in the district, excluding voters in inactive  status,
    19  multiplied  by $.05, however in the case of a nomination within the city
    20  of New York for the office of mayor,  public  advocate  or  comptroller,
    21  such  amount  shall be not less than four thousand dollars nor more than
    22  twelve thousand dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of  living
    23  adjustment  described in paragraph c of this subdivision; in the case of
    24  an election within the city of New York for the office of mayor,  public
    25  advocate  or  comptroller,  twenty-five thousand dollars as increased or
    26  decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in paragraph  c  of
    27  this  subdivision;  in  the  case  of a nomination or election for state
    28  senator, four thousand dollars [as increased or decreased by the cost of
    29  living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision;  in  the
    30  case  of  an  election for state senator, six thousand two hundred fifty
    31  dollars as increased or decreased  by  the  cost  of  living  adjustment
    32  described  in  paragraph  c  of  this  subdivision];  in  the case of an
    33  election or nomination  for  a  member  of  the  assembly,  [twenty-five
    34  hundred]  two thousand dollars [as increased or decreased by the cost of
    35  living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision;  but  in
    36  no event shall any such maximum exceed fifty thousand dollars or be less
    37  than  one  thousand  dollars]; provided however, that the maximum amount
    38  which may be so contributed or accepted,  in  the  aggregate,  from  any
    39  candidate's  child,  parent,  grandparent,  brother  and sister, and the
    40  spouse of any such persons, shall not exceed in the case of any election
    41  for party position or nomination for public office an amount  equivalent
    42  to  the  number  of  enrolled  voters  in  the  candidate's party in the
    43  district in which he  is  a  candidate,  excluding  voters  in  inactive
    44  status,  multiplied  by  $.25  and in the case of any election to public
    45  office, an amount equivalent to the number of registered voters  in  the
    46  district,  excluding  voters  in inactive status, multiplied by $.25; or
    47  twelve hundred fifty dollars, whichever is greater, or in the case of  a
    48  nomination  or  election  of  a  state senator, twenty thousand dollars,
    49  whichever is greater, or in the case of a nomination or  election  of  a
    50  member  of  the assembly twelve thousand five hundred dollars, whichever
    51  is greater, but in no event shall any such maximum  exceed  one  hundred
    52  thousand dollars.
    53    c. At the beginning of each fourth calendar year, commencing in [nine-
    54  teen hundred ninety-five] two thousand twenty-six, the state board shall
    55  determine  the  percentage  of  the  difference  between the most recent
    56  available monthly consumer price index for all urban consumers published
        A. 5491                             3
     1  by the United States bureau of labor statistics and such consumer  price
     2  index  published for the same month four years previously. The amount of
     3  each contribution limit fixed and expressly identified for adjustment in
     4  this  subdivision  shall  be  adjusted  by the amount of such percentage
     5  difference to the closest one hundred dollars by the state board  which,
     6  not  later than the first day of February in each such year, shall issue
     7  a regulation publishing the amount of each such contribution limit. Each
     8  contribution limit as so adjusted shall be  the  contribution  limit  in
     9  effect for any election held before the next such adjustment.
    10    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.