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History
- Referred to elections
- Referred to elections
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to maximum contributions for candidates
In Assembly Committee · Election Law · Sponsor Brian Kavanagh
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S53
Title of bill
An act to amend the election law, in relation to contribution limitations
Purpose
To reduce campaign contribution limits for candidates for election to a party position or public office or for nomination to public office where current contribution limits exceed $9,500 for candidates for election or $6,000 for candidates for nomination.
Summary of provisions
The bill would set contribution limits for campaigns for statewide office or citywide office in New York City at $9,500 for candidates for election or $6,000 for candidates for nomination (or between $2,000 and $6,000 for minor party candidates, based on an existing formula that is unchanged by this bill). This bill would not affect local laws currently in place in New York City, which currently set limits for citywide candidates that are lower than the limits in state law.
Justification
It is widely believed that our campaign finance laws need substantial changes to ensure the integrity of elections in our state. This bill does not address the broad range of issues that might be addressed in a comprehensive reform package, but it does address one of the most dramatic ways that our state's laws depart from the laws of other states that regulate campaign contributions: the extraordinarily high contributions that may be given to statewide candidates. Presently a single contributor may give up to $55,900 to a candidate during a single election cycle ($18,100 for the primary and $37,800 for the general election). This figure is the highest among any of the 45 states that place limits on campaign contributions.
While there has been a welcome movement toward voluntary limits on contributions that statewide officials will accept, it is important that the legislature take steps to reduce the excessive contributions currently permitted by law, even if there is no agreement on other measures that might be adopted to reform the campaign finance system.
Similarly, while the City of New York has adopted lower limits in local law, the state law still permit $55,900 in contributions to a candidate in a single election cycle. This bill would not affect the city's campaign finance system, but would reduce the exorbitant limits currently in state law for citywide elections.
Legislative history
2010: S.4542 (Squadron) - Third Reading, A.624 (Kavanagh) - Election Law 2009: S.4542 (Squadron) - Elections, A.624 (Kavanagh) - Election Law 2008: A.9097 (Kavanagh) - Election Law 2007: A.9097 (Kavanagh) - Election Law
Fiscal impact on the state
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.