Requires the filing of additional transferor and contributor identification information in campaign receipt and expenditure statements

BILL NUMBER:S6409

Title of bill

An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring additional transferor and contributor identification information in campaign receipt and expenditure statements

Purpose

This bill would require a political committee to disclose a contributor's occupation, employer and full name and address.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 of the bill would amend subdivision 1 of section 14-102 of the election law, as amended by chapter 8 of the laws of 1978 and as redesignated by chapter 9 of the laws of 1978, to require a political committee to disclose additional information regarding contributors who give $100 or more to a political committee. For individual contributors giving $100 or more, the contributor's occupation, employer, and employer's address would be required. For organizational contributors delineated in the amended text, the additional information would be the full name and address of the organization.

Section 2 of the bill establishes the effective date.

Justification

Campaign fundraising practices are having a corrosive effect on the public's confidence in the integrity of government. Too often, citizens feel that their individual votes are of little consequence. The cumulative impact is a significant threat to the fundamental values of democracy. A fundamental component of campaign finance laws is that campaign committees must disclose the identity of contributors. The rationale is that public awareness of who has contributed may reduce the possibility of elected officials favoring contributors. Requiring that significant contributors disclose their occupations and employers is necessary to ensure that contributors are adequately identified and to provide the public with additional information that may be useful in assessing where a contributor's interests may lie-and how an elected official might favor that contributor. The additional identification information required by the bill is the same as is required under federal law for contributions to federal political committees.

Legislative history

2011: S.3725 (Kruger) 2010: A.4012A (Kavanagh) - Election Law 2009: A.4012 (Kavanagh) - Election Law

Fiscal implications

None

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the first of December next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.