What's happening
This bill limits political contributions made by text message to $10 per contribution and nine contributions per campaign cycle, and establishes regulations for such donations.
Why it matters
Protects against fraud and ineligible contributions. by requiring an explicit opt-in confirmation, ensuring only eligible individuals (U.S. citizens or lawful residents, using their own funds) can donate by text.
Aims to balance accessibility and campaign finance transparency. by exempting small text-message contributions from standard record-keeping/disclosure rules, potentially encouraging more small-dollar donors while reducing administrative burden.
Reduces risk of circumvention of traditional contribution limits. by capping both the amount ($10 per message) and number (nine per campaign cycle) of text-message donations, helping prevent abuse through rapid-fire or mass micro-donations.
Places accountability on technical intermediaries. (connection aggregators) and campaigns to use a single short code per cycle, helping trace contributions and avoid confusion or duplication.
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Who cares
Political donors using text messages
The bill would cap each contribution at $10 and limit an individual to nine text contributions to a given political committee per campaign cycle.
Campaigns and political committees
They would have to receive text contributions through a single common short code per campaign cycle, while those contributions would be exempt from Section 14-104 recordkeeping and disclosure filing requirements.
Connection aggregators
These intermediaries would have to obtain a “yes” reply confirming citizenship or lawful permanent residency and that the contribution uses the donor’s own funds rather than funds from the listed organizations or registered lobbyists.
New York State Board of Elections
The board would have to develop rules governing political contributions by text message by December 31, 2017.
Headline styles
Limit Text Donations to Politicians
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
8 Co-sponsors
3 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to election law
- Referred to election law
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1393
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, CUSICK, SIMOTAS, WEPRIN, JAFFEE, ROSENTHAL, JOHNS, STIRPE, MAYER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABINANTI, GOTTFRIED, LUPARDO, SALADINO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to imposing limitations on political contributions made by text message
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1-104 of the election law is amended by adding three new subdivisions 38, 39 and 40 to read as follows:
38. The term "mobile telephone" shall mean the device used by subscribers and other users of wireless telephone service to access such service.
39. The term "text message" means an electronic communication via the short message service (SMS) that may only be sent and received through a mobile telephone.
40. The term "connection aggregator" means a third party intermediary between the wireless provider and the political committee that receives and processes text messages by Common Short Codes (CSCs).
§ 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 14-134 to read as follows:
§ 14-134. Political contributions through text message. 1. The state board shall develop rules and regulations regarding political contributions made to campaigns through text message by December thirty-first, two thousand seventeen. The rules regarding contributions received through text message must include provisions that after a contributor has sent in a contribution through text message, the connection aggregator is required to send an opt-in disclosure notice to the contributor that must be affirmatively responded to by the contributor with the text "yes" to complete the transaction. The opt-in disclosure notice must ask the contributor to affirmatively agree with the following statements:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04298-01-7
A. 1393 2
a. I am a United States citizen or lawfully permanent resident of the United States;
b. This contribution is made from myself as an individual and is not made from funds from a corporation, labor organization, bank, political action committee or an individual registered as a federal or New York state lobbyist.
2. The provisions of this section shall only apply to contributions to candidates, authorized political committees, constituted committees, party committees, all party and constituted housekeeping committees and political action committees that are sent from a mobile telephone via text message. All contributions received through text message shall be exempt from record keeping and disclosure filing requirements pursuant to section 14-104 of this article.
3. A political committee may enter into an agreement with the connection aggregator on terms that are consistent with the ordinary course of business.
4. A political committee must receive all text message contributions through a single common short code (CSC) per campaign cycle.
§ 3. Section 14-114 of the election law is amended by adding a new subdivision 11 to read as follows:
11. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, any contribution that is made by mobile telephone via text message shall not exceed ten dollars. An individual may not make more than nine contributions through text message to a given political committee in a campaign cycle.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.