What's happening
This bill prohibits New York state officials and employees from using state aircraft for political purposes and adds related penalties.
Why it matters
Closes a loophole for state officials. By explicitly banning the use of state aircraft for political purposes, this bill addresses a potential area of abuse where public resources could be used for personal or party gain.
Introduces significant penalties. Violators can face civil penalties up to $40,000 plus the value of the misused aircraft time, creating a financial deterrent against misuse.
Expands grounds for criminal prosecution. The amendment allows certain violations—including political misuse of state aircraft—to be referred for criminal prosecution as a class A misdemeanor, increasing the potential consequences for offenders.
Strengthens oversight and accountability. By including this misuse under the jurisdiction of state oversight bodies, the bill reinforces mechanisms to monitor and enforce ethical conduct among New York state officials and employees.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Statewide elected officials, state officers and employees
The bill would prohibit them from using or directing the use of state aircraft for political purposes.
Legislators and legislative employees
They would face the same ban, with knowing and intentional violations subject to a civil penalty of up to $40,000 plus the value of the aircraft use.
State oversight bodies
They would assess civil penalties within their jurisdiction or refer violations to the appropriate prosecutor instead.
Prosecutors
They could receive referrals for violations of the aircraft ban, with a conviction punishable as a class A misdemeanor.
Headline styles
Ban Political Flights
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Held for consideration in governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4791
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. DiPIETRO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to political use of state aircraft by certain state officers and employees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 18 of section 73 of the public officers law, as amended by section 5 of part CC of chapter 56 of the laws of 2015, is renumbered subdivision 19 and amended and a new subdivision 18 is added to read as follows:
18. No statewide elected official, state officer or employee, member of the legislature or legislative employee may use or direct the use of state aircraft for political purposes.
19. In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision of law, any person who knowingly and intentionally violates the provisions of subdivisions two through five, seven, seven-a, eight, twelve or fourteen through [seventeen] eighteen of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed forty thousand dollars and the value of any gift, compensation [or], benefit [received] or use of state aircraft in connection with such violation. Assessment of a civil penalty hereunder shall be made by the state oversight body with jurisdiction over such person. A state oversight body acting pursuant to its jurisdiction, may, in lieu of a civil penalty, with respect to a violation of subdivisions two through five, seven [or], eight or eighteen of this section, refer a violation of any such subdivision to the appropriate prosecutor and upon such conviction such violation shall be punishable as a class A misdemeanor.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05861-01-7
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.