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A2158Assembly2017-2018 SessionSame asS3154

Reveal Political Ad Backers

Official title

“Relates to disclosure of the identities of political committees making certain expenditures for political communications”

Sponsor Kenneth ZebrowskiAD-96+26 co-sponsorsAffects Legal
Status
Assembly Floor Calendar
Impact
5/10
Moderate
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 3 of 7

Floor calendar · Jan 3

What's happening

This bill requires political committees to clearly disclose their identity on political communications and establishes penalties for noncompliance.

Why it matters

  1. Increases transparency for voters by requiring clear disclosure of which political committee is funding political communications. , making it easier for the public to identify the true source behind campaign messages and advertisements.

  2. Applies disclosure requirements to a wide range of media—including print, digital, radio, and automated calls—ensuring that the public receives funding information regardless of where or how they encounter political messaging.

  3. Includes narrowly defined exemptions for small promotional items and certain small digital ads. (e.g., pens, stickers, or tiny web banners), but still requires a disclosure link for digital content when space is limited, maintaining transparency without overburdening minor communications.

  4. Establishes civil penalties for failing to properly disclose the source of political communications,. creating a deterrent against noncompliance and promoting accountability among political committees and independent spenders.

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Who cares

  • Political committees

    The bill would require committees paying for political communications to identify themselves with a “Paid for by:” disclosure and extend civil penalties to false identification or knowing failure to identify a committee.

  • Campaigns distributing promotional items

    Nominal-value items such as yard signs, buttons and shirts would be exempt from the disclosure requirement when their content is limited to a name, office and brief message of support.

  • Political committees buying digital ads

    Qualifying small digital ads unable to fit the disclosure could instead link to a webpage prominently displaying it.

  • State Board of Elections

    The board would have to issue rules and regulations needed to implement the bill by its effective date.

Headline styles

Reveal Political Ad Backers

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Kenneth Zebrowski

Assembly Member · Assembly District 96

History

  1. Ordered to third reading cal.161
  2. Returned to assembly
  3. Died in senate
  4. Referred to elections
  5. Delivered to senate
  6. Passed assembly
  7. Amended on third reading 2158a
  8. Advanced to third reading cal.97
  9. Reported
  10. Reported referred to codes
  11. Referred to election law

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.

S3154Senate

Disclose Political Ad Funders

In Senate Committee · Elections · Sponsor Joseph A. Griffo

Impact 5 · Moderate0% to pass

Full text

3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

2158--A Cal. No. 97

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

January 17, 2017

Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, LUPARDO, JAFFEE, THIELE, SIMOTAS, BENEDETTO, PAULIN, QUART, DINOWITZ, SEPULVEDA, STIRPE, ROSENTHAL, STECK, FAHY, CAHILL, GALEF, GOTTFRIED, M. G. MILLER, SOLAGES, CYMBROW- ITZ, RAIA, WEPRIN, LIFTON, ABINANTI, SANTABARBARA,… Show all

Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, LUPARDO, JAFFEE, THIELE, SIMOTAS, BENEDETTO, PAULIN, QUART, DINOWITZ, SEPULVEDA, STIRPE, ROSENTHAL, STECK, FAHY, CAHILL, GALEF, GOTTFRIED, M. G. MILLER, SOLAGES, CYMBROW- ITZ, RAIA, WEPRIN, LIFTON, ABINANTI, SANTABARBARA, MAYER, FARRELL, PEOPLES-STOKES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CROUCH, GLICK, MAGEE, McDONALD, MOSLEY, RAMOS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law -- reported and referred to the Committee on Codes -reported from committee, advanced to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading

AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to disclosure of the identities of political committees making certain expenditures for political communications

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Section 14-106 of the election law, as amended by section 3 of subpart C of part H of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:

§ 14-106. Political communication. 1. The statements required to be filed under the provisions of this article next succeeding a primary, general or special election shall be accompanied by a copy of all broadcast, cable or satellite schedules and scripts, internet, print and other types of advertisements, pamphlets, circulars, flyers, brochures, letterheads and other printed matter purchased or produced, and reproductions of statements or information published to five hundred or more members of a general public audience by computer or other electronic device including but not limited to electronic mail or text message, purchased in connection with such election by or under the authority of the person filing the statement or the committee or the person on whose behalf it is filed, as the case may be. Such copies, schedules and scripts shall be preserved by the officer with whom or the board with

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD04296-03-7

A. 2158--A 2

which it is required to be filed for a period of one year from the date of filing thereof.

2. All political committees that make an expenditure for a political communication shall be required to disclose the identity of the political committee which made the expenditure for such political communication. The disclosure on printed or digital political communications, including but not limited to brochures, flyers, posters, mailings, or internet advertising shall be printed or typed in an appropriate legible form to read as follows: "Paid for by:" followed by the name of the political committee making the expenditure. The disclosure on non-printed or digital political communications shall clearly and prominently display and/or speak the following statement: "Paid for by:" followed by the name of the political committee making the expenditure. In the case of a political communication that is not visual, such as radio or automated telephone calls, clearly speaking the statement will satisfy the requirements of this section.

3. Political communications that are considered promotional items which support a particular candidate, election, ballot measure or issue and limit the content of communication to the name, office and brief message of support, shall be exempt from the provisions of subdivision two of this section. Promotional items shall be items that are of nominal value and are distributed to the general public in an effort to promote a particular candidate, election, ballot measure or issue including but not limited to pens, bumper stickers, yard signs, buttons, shirts, bags or balloons.

4. Political communication that is considered digital media which advertises for a particular candidate, election, ballot measure or issue which limits the content of communication to the name, office and brief message shall not be subject to the provisions of subdivision two of this section if such digital media is unable to contain the "paid for by" statement due to its small size and contains a link to another webpage where the "paid for by" statement is prominently displayed.

§ 2. Subdivision 2 of section 14-107 of the election law, as amended by section 2 of part A of chapter 286 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:

2. Whenever any person makes an independent expenditure that costs one thousand dollars or more in the aggregate, such communication shall, in a manner consistent with section 14-106 of this article, clearly state the name of the person who paid for, or otherwise published or distributed the communication and state, with respect to communications regarding candidates, that the communication was not expressly authorized or requested by any candidate, or by any candidate's political committee or any of its agents.

§ 3. Subdivision 3 of section 14-126 of the election law, as added by section 6 of subpart C of part H of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:

3. Any person who falsely identifies or knowingly fails to identify any independent expenditure as required by subdivision two of section 14-107 of this article or any political committee as required in section 14-106 of this article shall be subject to a civil penalty up to one thousand dollars or up to the cost of the communication, whichever is greater, in a special proceeding or civil action [brought by the state board of elections chief enforcement counsel or imposed directly by the state board of elections]. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "person" shall mean a person, group of persons, corporation, unincorpo-

A. 2158--A 3

rated business entity, labor organization or business, trade or professional association or organization or political committee.

§ 4. The state board of elections shall promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on or before its effective date.

§ 5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date upon which it shall have become a law.

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.