Bill Text: NY A05913 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to prohibiting funding of terrorist activities through donations to not-for-profit organizations.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - referred to codes [A05913 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-A05913-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 5913 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y March 8, 2013 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the penal law and the not-for-profit corporation law, in relation to prohibiting funding and support of terrorist activities and organizations THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Section 490.15 of the penal law, as added by chapter 300 2 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows: 3 S 490.15 Soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism in the 4 first degree. 5 A person commits soliciting or providing support for an act of terror- 6 ism in the first degree when: 7 1. he or she commits the crime of soliciting or providing support for 8 an act of terrorism in the second degree and the total value of material 9 support or resources exceeds one thousand dollars; OR 10 2. HE OR SHE, AS AN OFFICER OR DIRECTOR OF A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPO- 11 RATION, KNOWINGLY PERMITS SUCH CORPORATION TO ASSIST, FUND OR SUPPORT 12 TERRORISM. 13 Soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism in the first 14 degree is a class C felony. 15 S 2. Section 115 of the not-for-profit corporation law, as added by 16 chapter 669 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows: 17 S 115. Power to solicit contributions for charitable purposes. 18 (A) SOLICITATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES. No corpo- 19 ration having the power to solicit contributions for charitable purposes 20 may solicit contributions for any purpose for which approval of such 21 solicitation is required under the provisions of section four hundred 22 four of this chapter unless the certificate specifically makes provision 23 for such solicitation and the required written approval is endorsed on 24 or annexed to such certificate or unless the corporation is among those EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05861-02-3 A. 5913 2 1 referred to in section one hundred seventy-two-a of the executive law. 2 If such approval is not obtained and the corporation continues to solic- 3 it or to receive contributions for such purpose or advertises that it 4 has obtained such approval, the attorney general, at the request of the 5 officer or body authorized to grant such approval, shall maintain an 6 action or proceeding pursuant to the provisions of subparagraph one of 7 paragraph (a) of section one hundred twelve of this [chapter] ARTICLE. 8 Such an action may also be maintained in relation to a corporation here- 9 inafter incorporated if the name, purposes, objects or the activities of 10 such corporation may, in any manner, lead to the belief that the corpo- 11 ration possesses or may exercise any of such purposes. 12 (B) CONTRIBUTIONS SOLICITED FOR OR TRANSFERRED TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT 13 SUPPORT TERRORISM PROHIBITED. NO CORPORATION FORMED UNDER THIS CHAPTER 14 SHALL SOLICIT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR OR TRANSFER ANY MONIES TO ANY PERSON OR 15 ORGANIZATION WHICH ASSISTS, FUNDS OR SUPPORTS TERRORISM OR TERRORIST 16 ACTIVITIES. "TERRORISM AND TERRORIST ACTIVITIES" FOR THE PURPOSES OF 17 THIS PARAGRAPH, SHALL INCLUDE ANY ACT OR THREAT OF AN ACT OF VIOLENCE 18 DIRECTED AGAINST THE UNITED STATES, ANY STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OR 19 AGAINST ANY PERSON OR PROPERTY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, IF SUCH ACT OR 20 THREAT OF AN ACT OF VIOLENCE IS MOTIVATED BY RELIGIOUS, CULTURAL OR 21 POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, "ASSISTANCE, 22 FUNDING OR SUPPORT OF TERRORISM" SHALL INCLUDE ANY ACTIVITY WHICH COULD 23 ASSIST THE ADVANCEMENT, PLANNING, OPERATION, CONDUCT OR ADVOCACY OF 24 TERRORISM OR TERRORIST ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING THE ASSISTANCE, FUNDING OR 25 SUPPORTING OR ANY EDUCATIONAL, RELIGIOUS, CULTURAL OR POLITICAL ORGAN- 26 IZATION, OR PERSON OFFICIALLY AFFILIATED WITH SUCH ORGANIZATION, WHICH 27 ADVOCATES THE ADVANCEMENT, PLANNING, OPERATION, CONDUCT OR ADVOCACY OF 28 TERRORISM OR TERRORIST ACTIVITIES. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND/OR THE STATE 29 COMPTROLLER, UPON PROBABLE CAUSE, MAY AUDIT AND INVESTIGATE ANY CORPO- 30 RATION FORMED UNDER THIS CHAPTER, SUSPECTED OF VIOLATING THE PROVISIONS 31 OF THIS SECTION. UPON THE CONDUCT OF SUCH AUDIT OR INVESTIGATION, THE 32 ATTORNEY GENERAL AND STATE COMPTROLLER SHALL BE PERMITTED FULL AND UNRE- 33 STRICTED ACCESS TO ALL RECORDS, PAPERS AND ACCOUNTS OF SUCH CORPORATION, 34 AND SHALL ALSO BE EMPOWERED TO DEPOSE UNDER OATH, ANY OFFICER, DIRECTOR 35 OR EMPLOYEE OF SUCH CORPORATION. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SHALL ALSO HAVE 36 THE POWER, AS SHALL THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE 37 CORPORATION MAINTAINS ITS OFFICES, TO PROSECUTE ANY VIOLATION OF THIS 38 SECTION. ANY CORPORATION FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED THE PROVISIONS OF THIS 39 SECTION, AND/OR ANY CORPORATION WHICH HAS AN OFFICER OR DIRECTOR FOUND 40 GUILTY OF SOLICITING OR PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR AN ACT OF TERRORISM IN THE 41 FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 490.15 OF THE PENAL LAW UPON APPLICA- 42 TION TO THE SUPREME COURT BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OR THE DISTRICT ATTOR- 43 NEY SHALL BE DEEMED IMMEDIATELY DISSOLVED, WITH ITS ASSETS IMMEDIATELY 44 TRANSFERRED TO THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AND THE STATE COMPTROLLER UPON 45 DEPOSITING SUCH ASSETS INTO A SEGREGATED ACCOUNT SHALL THEREUPON 46 DISBURSE SUCH ASSETS TO OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH DO NOT 47 ASSIST, FUND OR SUPPORT TERRORISM OR TERRORIST ACTIVITIES, UNLESS THE 48 SUPREME COURT FINDS COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT THE CORPORATION'S EXISTENCE 49 SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AND THE CORPORATION HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT ALL 50 PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE ACTIVITIES CONSTITUTING A VIOLATION OF THIS 51 SECTION HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY BARRED FROM EMPLOYMENT, ASSOCIATION, 52 AND/OR ANY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CORPORATION. 53 S 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2014.