Requires state legislators and candidates for the legislature to fully disclose the sources of all income, in excess of $1,000, from any employment

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1 establishes each part of the bill, which enacts into law major components of legislation necessary to enact ethics reform.

Part A requires full disclosure of a legislator's income, to be reported on a web site for public review.

Part B adds subdivision 4 to section 5-a of the legislative law, which prohibits any member of the legislature from serving as the chair of any committee for more than 4 consecutive years.

Part C adds section 2-b to the legislative law, which prohibits members of the legislature from serving more than ten years in either the senate or assembly.

Part D amends subdivision 3 of section 14-108 of the election law, extends that political financial disclosure statements be filed for fifteen years.

Part E renumbers article 23 and sections 860 and 861 of the judiciary law, and adds a new article 23, which states a judicial office shall be a nonpartisan elected office, and addresses issues to that end.

Section 2 of this bill establishes a severability clause.

Justification

This bill enacts serious and thorough ethical reform by putting an end to the loopholes and boundless positions of power that have lead Albany to be cited as the nation's most dysfunctional legislature. No longer will elected officials leverage their positions and the trust of the people for personal power and profit.

How much transparency should be demanded by the people of their representatives? As long as we allow legislators to hold outside business interests, there is a potential that these outside business interests could one day come into conflict. This could create a situation, or at least in the public's eye, the perception of one. By requiring legislators to disclose and itemize their full outside income, without exclusion to the well-known "attorney-client relationship" loophole, all potential and actual conflicts will come to light.

In enacting committee chair limits, this bill will help bring about a more honest and open government by circulating new ideas with fresh leadership and will also further the possibility of innovative legislation for each committee. In addition, this bill will allow for an equal distribution of power amongst the majority to prevent any long term corruption that might be rooted in longstanding Chairmanship.

Talented legislators have nothing to fear from this piece of legislation, nor term limits in general. Always remember, there is life after and beyond Albany. Term limits legislation is the single most effective solution to ending the "three men in a room" syndrome. This bill will serve as an additional tool to restore the public's trust and will also prod legislators into working at a more efficient and effective pace in order to accomplish their legislative goals. Some legislators focus on maintaining their incumbency at any cost and continuously become disconnected from the real world by becoming part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. Term limits will keep the legislature fresh with new ideas. New members and a refreshing and recurring "passing of the baton" will allow efficient legislators to move on to bigger and better things and will end the pay to play system where all of the deals are made by a handful of Albany legislators who have managed, through longevity and deal-making, to stick around the longest. The New York State Assembly should not be a welfare line for New York's wealthy and well connected.

Current law requires the local & state board of elections to retain campaign finance statements filed by candidates for public office and political committees for only five years. It is not uncommon, however, for elected officials to remain in office for tenures that extend well beyond this time frame. This measure will continue to hold such officials and their political committees accountable for campaign receipts, contributions, transfers and expenditures for a period of time that more likely corresponds to the longevity of their political career.

This bill will allow judicial candidates the ability to run for office based solely on judicial merit, while also making great strides in alleviating the appearance of impropriety in the judicial election process. A great number of states already use this process; many judges favor this concept as it allows them to focus more on the law and less on elections.

Prior legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

None noted.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately; provided however, that the applicable effective date of Parts A through E of this act shall be as specifically set forth in the last section of such Parts.