Requires certain campaign statements filed with boards of elections to be transmitted to the public campaign finance board having jurisdiction over the election

BILL NUMBER:S2306

Title of bill

An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring the board of elections with which certain campaign statements are filed to transmit copies thereof to the public campaign finance board having jurisdiction thereof

Purpose

To enhance the ability of public campaign finance boards to monitor spending limits placed on candidate expenditures.

Summary of provisions

This bill would amend Section 14-110 of the election law to require the state or local board of elections, where a campaign financial statement is required to be filed, to transmit a copy of such statement to the public campaign finance board having jurisdiction over the election involved.

Justification

Provisions of public campaign finance laws often place spending limits on participating candidates or allow for increased financing for such candidates if nonparticipating candidates exceed certain spending limits. However, campaign expenditure statements are required to be filed with the state or local board of elections and not with the public campaign finance board. The public campaign finance board should have timely access to candidate expenditure statements in order to appropriately administer the provision of the public campaign finance law. Since there is already a well-established system of reporting campaign expenditures under Article 14 of the election law {campaign receipts and expenditures}, the best method of providing this information to public campaign finance boards would be for the board of elections, where such reports are required to be filed, to transmit copies of such reports to the finance board. This method would be both timely and cost efficient to administer.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall become law, provided however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of the foregoing section of this act on its effective date is authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.