What's happening
This bill prohibits fundraising events in Albany County during legislative sessions, with exceptions for officials representing Albany, and establishes penalties for violations.
Why it matters
Targets the influence of money in politics by banning fundraising events in Albany County during legislative sessions, which is where the state legislature meets—potentially reducing real-time pressure from special interests on lawmakers while policy is being made.
Creates a clear exception for Albany-based officials, acknowledging their ongoing constituent and campaign work, but otherwise limits all other state politicians’ ability to hold fundraisers in the county, closing a common loophole for lobbyist access.
Establishes significant penalties—including misdemeanors, felonies for repeat offenders, and substantial civil fines—for individuals, lobbyists, and organizations that violate the new restrictions, signaling a strong intent to enforce compliance and deter circumvention.
Expands existing reporting and enforcement mechanisms in both legislative and election laws, making it riskier for lobbyists and political actors to ignore or sidestep campaign finance rules in Albany, and strengthening overall transparency and accountability.
Albany, before your first meeting.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Fundraisers During Session
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3319
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. GALEF, PAULIN, FRIEND, ORTIZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law and the election law, in relation to prohibiting certain functions in the county of Albany whenever the legislature is in session
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 1-m-1 to read as follows:
§ 1-m-1. Certain functions prohibited in Albany county. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no person or entity shall hold, participate in, or attend a function designed to solicit funds that are subject to the reporting requirements of article fourteen of the election law in the county of Albany whenever the legislature is in session. The foregoing shall not apply to a statewide elected official, state officer or employee, or member of the legislature, who represents or holds office in the county of Albany.
§ 2. Subdivision (a) and paragraphs (i) and (iv) of subdivision (b) of section 1-o of the legislative law, as added by chapter 14 of the laws of 2007, are amended to read as follows:
(a) (i) Any lobbyist, public corporation, or client who knowingly and wilfully fails to file timely a report or statement required by this section or knowingly and wilfully files false information or knowingly and wilfully violates section one-m or one-m-one of this article shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor; and
(ii) any lobbyist, public corporation, or client who knowingly and wilfully fails to file timely a report or statement required by this section or knowingly and wilfully files false information or knowingly and wilfully violates section one-m or one-m-one of this article, after having previously been convicted in the preceding five years of the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07698-01-7
A. 3319 2
crime described in paragraph (i) of this subdivision, shall be guilty of a class E felony. Any lobbyist convicted of or pleading guilty to a felony under the provisions of this section may be barred from acting as a lobbyist for a period of one year from the date of the conviction. For the purposes of this subdivision, the chief administrative officer of any organization required to file a statement or report shall be the person responsible for making and filing such statement or report unless some other person prior to the due date thereof has been duly designated to make and file such statement or report.
(i) A lobbyist, public corporation, or client who knowingly and wilfully fails to file a statement or report within the time required for the filing of such report or knowingly and wilfully violates section one-m or one-m-one of this article shall be subject to a civil penalty for each such failure or violation, in an amount not to exceed the greater of twenty-five thousand dollars or three times the amount the person failed to report properly or unlawfully contributed, expended, gave or received, to be assessed by the commission.
(iv) Any lobbyist or client that knowingly and wilfully fails to file a statement or report within the time required for the filing of such report, knowingly and wilfully files a false statement or report, or knowingly and wilfully violates section one-m or one-m-one of this article, after having been found by the commission to have [knowing] knowingly and wilfully committed such conduct or violation in the preceding five years, may be subject to a determination that the lobbyist or client is prohibited from engaging in lobbying activities, as that term is defined in paragraph (v) of subdivision (c) of section one-c of this article, for a period of one year.
§ 3. Subdivision 4 of section 14-126 of the election law, as amended by section 6 of subpart C of part H of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
4. Any person who knowingly and willfully fails to file a statement required to be filed by this article within ten days after the date provided for filing such statement or any person who knowingly and willfully violates any other provision of this article or who knowingly and willfully violates the provisions of section one-m-one of the legislative law shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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