STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 10237 IN ASSEMBLY April 2, 2020 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ROZIC -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to decreasing contribution limitations The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 14-114 of the election law, as 2 amended by chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, paragraphs a and b as amended 3 by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows: 4 1. The following limitations apply to all contributions to candidates 5 for election to any public office or for nomination for any such office, 6 or for election to any party positions, and to all contributions to 7 political committees working directly or indirectly with any candidate 8 to aid or participate in such candidate's nomination or election, other 9 than any contributions to any party committee or constituted committee: 10 a. In any election for a public office to be voted on by the voters of 11 the entire state, or for nomination to any such office, no contributor 12 may make a contribution to any candidate or political committee, and no 13 candidate or political committee may accept any contribution from any 14 contributor, which is in the aggregate amount greater than: (i) in the 15 case of any nomination to public office, the product of the total number 16 of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the state, excluding 17 voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.005, but such amount shall be 18 not [~~less than four thousand dollars nor~~] more than [~~twelve~~] two thou- 19 sand eight hundred dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of 20 living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision, and (ii) 21 in the case of any election to a public office, [~~twenty-five~~] not more 22 than two thousand eight hundred dollars as increased or decreased by the 23 cost of living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision[; 24 ~~provided however, that the maximum amount which may be so contributed or~~ 25 ~~accepted, in the aggregate, from any candidate's child, parent, grand-~~ 26 ~~parent, brother and sister, and the spouse of any such persons, shall~~ 27 ~~not exceed in the case of any nomination to public office an amount~~ 28 ~~equivalent to the product of the number of enrolled voters in the candi-~~ EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02341-03-9

A. 10237 2 1 ~~date's party in the state, excluding voters in inactive status, multi-~~ 2 ~~plied by $.025, and in the case of any election for a public office, an~~ 3 ~~amount equivalent to the product of the number of registered voters in~~ 4 ~~the state excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.025~~]. 5 b. In any other election for party position or for election to a 6 public office or for nomination for any such office, no contributor may 7 make a contribution to any candidate or political committee and no 8 candidate or political committee may accept any contribution from any 9 contributor, which is in the aggregate amount greater than: (i) in the 10 case of any election for party position, or for nomination to public 11 office, the product of the total number of enrolled voters in the candi- 12 date's party in the district in which he is a candidate, excluding 13 voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.05, and (ii) in the case of 14 any election for a public office, the product of the total number of 15 registered voters in the district, excluding voters in inactive status, 16 multiplied by $.05[,]; but in no event shall any such maximum exceed two 17 thousand eight hundred dollars or be less than one thousand dollars as 18 increased or decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in 19 paragraph c of this subdivision; however in the case of a nomination or 20 election within the city of New York for the office of mayor, public 21 advocate [or], comptroller, borough president or member of the city 22 council, such amount shall be [~~not less than four thousand dollars nor~~ 23 ~~more than twelve thousand dollars as increased or decreased by the cost~~ 24 ~~of living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision; in~~ 25 ~~the case of an election within the city of New York for the office of~~ 26 ~~mayor, public advocate or comptroller, twenty-five thousand dollars as~~ 27 ~~increased or decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in~~ 28 ~~paragraph c of this subdivision~~] equal to the contribution limits set 29 forth in paragraph (f) of subdivision one of section 3-703 of the admin- 30 istrative code of the city of New York; provided however in the case of 31 a nomination or election for state senator, such amount shall be [~~four~~] 32 not more than two thousand eight hundred dollars as increased or 33 decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in paragraph c of 34 this subdivision; [~~in the case of an election for state senator, six~~ 35 ~~thousand two hundred fifty dollars as increased or decreased by the cost~~ 36 ~~of living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision;~~] in 37 the case of [~~an election or~~] a nomination or election for a member of 38 the assembly, [~~twenty-five hundred~~] not more than two thousand eight 39 hundred dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of living adjust- 40 ment described in paragraph c of this subdivision[~~; but in no event~~ 41 ~~shall any such maximum exceed fifty thousand dollars or be less than one~~ 42 ~~thousand dollars; provided however, that the maximum amount which may be~~ 43 ~~so contributed or accepted, in the aggregate, from any candidate's~~ 44 ~~child, parent, grandparent, brother and sister, and the spouse of any~~ 45 ~~such persons, shall not exceed in the case of any election for party~~ 46 ~~position or nomination for public office an amount equivalent to the~~ 47 ~~number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the district in~~ 48 ~~which he is a candidate, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied~~ 49 ~~by $.25 and in the case of any election to public office, an amount~~ 50 ~~equivalent to the number of registered voters in the district, excluding~~ 51 ~~voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.25; or twelve hundred fifty~~ 52 ~~dollars, whichever is greater, or in the case of a nomination or~~ 53 ~~election of a state senator, twenty thousand dollars, whichever is~~ 54 ~~greater, or in the case of a nomination or election of a member of the~~ 55 ~~assembly twelve thousand five hundred dollars, whichever is greater, but~~ 56 ~~in no event shall any such maximum exceed one hundred thousand dollars~~].

A. 10237 3 1 c. At the beginning of each [~~fourth~~] second calendar year, commencing 2 in [~~nineteen hundred ninety-five~~] two thousand twenty-one, the state 3 board shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most 4 recent available monthly consumer price index for all urban consumers 5 published by the United States bureau of labor statistics and such 6 consumer price index published for the same month [~~four~~] two years 7 previously. The amount of each contribution limit fixed in this subdivi- 8 sion shall be adjusted by the amount of such percentage difference to 9 the closest one hundred dollars by the state board which, not later than 10 the first day of February in each such year, shall issue a regulation 11 publishing the amount of each such contribution limit. Each contribution 12 limit as so adjusted shall be the contribution limit in effect for any 13 election held before the next such adjustment. 14 § 2. Subdivision 10 of section 14-114 of the election law, as added by 15 chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows: 16 10. a. No contributor may make a contribution to a party or consti- 17 tuted committee and no such committee may accept a contribution from any 18 contributor which, in the aggregate, is greater than [~~sixty-two~~] twen- 19 ty-five thousand [~~five hundred~~] dollars per annum. 20 b. At the beginning of each [~~fourth~~] second calendar year, commencing 21 in [~~nineteen hundred ninety-five~~] two thousand twenty-one, the state 22 board shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most 23 recent available monthly consumer price index for all urban consumers 24 published by the United States bureau of labor statistics and such 25 consumer price index published for the same month [~~four~~] two years 26 previously. The amount of such contribution limit fixed in paragraph a 27 of this subdivision shall be adjusted by the amount of such percentage 28 difference to the closest one hundred dollars by the state board which, 29 not later than the first day of February in each such year, shall issue 30 a regulation publishing the amount of such contribution limit. Such 31 contribution limit as so adjusted shall be the contribution limit in 32 effect for any election held before the next such adjustment. 33 § 3. Subdivision 3 of section 14-124 of the election law, as amended 34 by section 1 of part B of chapter 286 of the laws of 2016, is amended to 35 read as follows: 36 3. The contribution and receipt limits of this article shall not apply 37 to monies received and expenditures made by a party committee or consti- 38 tuted committee to maintain a permanent headquarters and staff and carry 39 on ordinary activities which are not for the express purpose of promot- 40 ing the candidacy of specific candidates; provided that such monies 41 described in this subdivision shall be deposited in a segregated 42 account. Contributions made for such activities to a party committee or 43 constituted committee shall be limited to twenty-five thousand dollars 44 in the aggregate from each contributor in each year. 45 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 46 it shall have become a law; provided, that contributions legally 47 received prior to the effective date of this act may be retained and 48 expended for lawful purposes and shall not provide the basis for a 49 violation of article 14 of the election law, as amended by this act; and 50 provided, further, that the state board of elections shall notify all 51 candidates and political committees of the applicable provisions of this 52 act within thirty days after this act shall have become a law.

Decreases contribution limits

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