What's happening
This bill requires New York legislators and legislative candidates to file electronic, searchable, and downloadable financial disclosure statements.
Why it matters
Enhanced public scrutiny and accountability. By requiring financial disclosure statements to be filed electronically in searchable and downloadable formats, it becomes much easier for the public, journalists, and watchdog groups to analyze, compare, and investigate legislators’ and candidates’ finances. This can help uncover potential conflicts of interest, unethical behavior, or patterns of influence that might otherwise go unnoticed with paper or non-searchable filings.
Modernization and transparency in government. Mandating electronic, standardized formats for disclosures reflects a broader push to modernize how government information is handled. This reduces administrative burdens, minimizes errors, and helps ensure that data is up-to-date, more transparent, and accessible to all, not just those with the technical skill or resources to request and manually process paper records.
Potential deterrent to corruption and self-dealing. Knowing that their financial disclosures are easily accessible and analyzable may discourage legislators and candidates from engaging in questionable financial activity or failing to disclose interests, as the risk of detection and public exposure is increased.
Strengthened compliance and enforcement. Electronic filing makes it easier for ethics commissions and oversight bodies to monitor compliance, quickly identify missing or inconsistent disclosures, and enforce penalties for late or incomplete filings. This could lead to more consistent reporting and a clearer record of who is meeting their legal obligations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Online Financial Disclosures
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 108
16 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
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.
Require Online Financial Disclosures
In Senate Committee · Finance · Sponsor Neil D. Breslin
Full text
20 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3841
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. McDONALD, D'URSO, GOTTFRIED, WALSH, VANEL, LAWRENCE, MORINELLO, ASHBY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to electronic financial disclosures of members and candidates of the legislature
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The opening paragraph of paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 73-a of the public officers law, as amended by section 5 of part A of chapter 399 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
Every statewide elected official, state officer or employee, member of the legislature, legislative employee and political party chairman and every candidate for statewide elected office or for member of the legislature shall file an annual statement of financial disclosure containing the information and in the form set forth in subdivision three of this section. Every member of the legislature and candidate for member of the legislature must file their annual statement of financial disclosure electronically in an electronic, readable, searchable and downloadable format. On or before the fifteenth day of May with respect to the preceding calendar year: (1) every member of the legislature, every candidate for member of the legislature and legislative employee shall file such statement with the legislative ethics commission which shall provide such statement along with any requests for exemptions or deletions to the joint commission on public ethics for filing and rulings with respect to such requests for exemptions or deletions, on or before the thirtieth day of June; and (2) all other individuals required to file such statement shall file it with the joint commission on public ethics, except that:
§ 2. Subdivision 3 of section 73-a of the public officers law, as amended by section 5 of part A of chapter 399 of the laws of 2011, paragraph 8 as amended by section 6 of part K of chapter 286 of the laws of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00588-01-9
A. 3841 2
2016 and paragraph 13 as amended by section 1 of part CC of chapter 56 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
3. (a) The annual statement of financial disclosure shall contain the information and shall be in the form set forth hereinbelow:
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE - (For calendar year ________)
1. Name ______________________________________________________________
2. (a) Title of Position _____________________________________________
(b) Department, Agency or other Governmental Entity _______________
(c) Address of Present Office _____________________________________
(d) Office Telephone Number _______________________________________
3. (a) Marital Status ______________. If married, please give spouse's
full name including maiden name where applicable.
_____________________________________________________________ .
(b) List the names of all unemancipated children.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Answer each of the following questions completely, with respect to
calendar year _________, unless another period or date is otherwise
specified. If additional space is needed, attach additional pages.
Whenever a "value" or "amount" is required to be reported herein, such value or amount shall be reported as being within one of the following Categories in Table I or Table II of this subdivision as called for in the question: A reporting individual shall indicate the Category by letter only.
Whenever "income" is required to be reported herein, the term "income" shall mean the aggregate net income before taxes from the source identified.
The term "calendar year" shall mean the year ending the December 31st preceding the date of filing of the annual statement.
4. (a) List any office, trusteeship, directorship, partnership, or
position of any nature, whether compensated or not, held by the
reporting individual with any firm, corporation, association, part-
nership, or other organization other than the State of New York.
Include compensated honorary positions; do NOT list membership or
uncompensated honorary positions. If the listed entity was licensed
by any state or local agency, was regulated by any state regulatory
agency or local agency, or, as a regular and significant part of the
business or activity of said entity, did business with, or had
matters other than ministerial matters before, any state or local
agency, list the name of any such agency.
State or
Position Organization Local Agency
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
A. 3841 3
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
(b) List any office, trusteeship, directorship, partnership, or position
of any nature, whether compensated or not, held by the spouse or
unemancipated child of the reporting individual, with any firm,
corporation, association, partnership, or other organization other
than the State of New York. Include compensated honorary positions;
do NOT list membership or uncompensated honorary positions. If the
listed entity was licensed by any state or local agency, was regu-
lated by any state regulatory agency or local agency, or, as a regu-
lar and significant part of the business or activity of said entity,
did business with, or had matters other than ministerial matters
before, any state or local agency, list the name of any such agency.
State or
Position Organization Local Agency
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
5. (a) List the name, address and description of any occupation,
employment (other than the employment listed under Item 2 above),
trade, business or profession engaged in by the reporting individ-
ual. If such activity was licensed by any state or local agency, was
regulated by any state regulatory agency or local agency, or, as a
regular and significant part of the business or activity of said
entity, did business with, or had matters other than ministerial
matters before, any state or local agency, list the name of any such
agency.
State or
Name & Address Local
Position of Organization Description Agency
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
(b) If the spouse or unemancipated child of the reporting individual was
engaged in any occupation, employment, trade, business or profession
which activity was licensed by any state or local agency, was regu-
lated by any state regulatory agency or local agency, or, as a regu-
lar and significant part of the business or activity of said entity,
did business with, or had matters other than ministerial matters
before, any state or local agency, list the name, address and
description of such occupation, employment, trade, business or
profession and the name of any such agency.
State or
A. 3841 4
Name & Address Local
Position of Organization Description Agency
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
6. List any interest, in EXCESS of $1,000, held by the reporting indi-
vidual, such individual's spouse or unemancipated child, or partner-
ship of which any such person is a member, or corporation, 10% or
more of the stock of which is owned or controlled by any such
person, whether vested or contingent, in any contract made or
executed by a state or local agency and include the name of the
entity which holds such interest and the relationship of the report-
ing individual or such individual's spouse or such child to such
entity and the interest in such contract. Do NOT include bonds and
notes. Do NOT list any interest in any such contract on which final
payment has been made and all obligations under the contract except
for guarantees and warranties have been performed, provided, howev-
er, that such an interest must be listed if there has been an ongo-
ing dispute during the calendar year for which this statement is
filed with respect to any such guarantees or warranties. Do NOT list
any interest in a contract made or executed by a local agency after
public notice and pursuant to a process for competitive bidding or a
process for competitive requests for proposals.
Entity Relationship Contracting Category
Self, Which Held to Entity State or of
Spouse or Interest in and Interest Local Value of
Child Contract in Contract Agency Contract
(In Table II)
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
7. List any position the reporting individual held as an officer of any
political party or political organization, as a member of any poli-
tical party committee, or as a political party district leader. The
term "party" shall have the same meaning as "party" in the election
law. The term "political organization" means any party or independ-
ent body as defined in the election law or any organization that is
affiliated with or a subsidiary of a party or independent body.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
A. 3841 5
8. (a) If the reporting individual practices law, is licensed by the department of state as a real estate broker or agent or practices a profession licensed by the department of education, or works as a member or employee of a firm required to register pursuant to section one-e of the legislative law as a lobbyist, describe the services rendered for which compensation was paid including a general description of the principal subject areas of matters undertaken by such individual and principal duties performed. Specifically state whether the reporting individual provides services directly to clients. Additionally, if such an individual practices with a firm or corporation and is a partner or shareholder of the firm or corporation, give a general description of principal subject areas of matters undertaken by such firm or corporation.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
(b) APPLICABLE ONLY TO NEW CLIENTS OR CUSTOMERS FOR WHOM SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON OR AFTER JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWELVE AND BEFORE DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN, OR FOR NEW MATTERS FOR EXISTING CLIENTS OR CUSTOMERS WITH RESPECT TO THOSE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED ON OR AFTER JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWELVE AND BEFORE DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN:
If the reporting individual personally provides services to any person or entity, or works as a member or employee of a partnership or corporation that provides such services (referred to hereinafter as a "firm"), then identify each client or customer to whom the reporting individual personally provided services, or who was referred to the firm by the reporting individual, and from whom the reporting individual or his or her firm earned fees in excess of $10,000 during the reporting period for such services rendered in direct connection with:
(i) A contract in an amount totaling $50,000 or more from the state or any state agency for services, materials, or property;
(ii) A grant of $25,000 or more from the state or any state agency during the reporting period;
(iii) A grant obtained through a legislative initiative during the reporting period; or
(iv) A case, proceeding, application or other matter that is not a ministerial matter before a state agency during the reporting period.
For purposes of this question, "referred to the firm" shall mean: having intentionally and knowingly taken a specific act or series of acts to intentionally procure for the reporting individual's firm or knowingly solicit or direct to the reporting individual's firm in whole or substantial part, a person or entity that becomes a client of that firm for the purposes of representation for a matter as defined in subparagraphs (i) through (iv) of this paragraph, as the result of such procurement, solicitation or direction of the reporting individual. A reporting individual need not disclose activities performed while lawfully acting pursuant to paragraphs (c), (d), (e) and (f) of subdivision seven of section seventy-three of this article.
The disclosure requirement in this question shall not require disclosure of clients or customers receiving medical or dental services, mental health services, residential real estate brokering services, or
A. 3841 6
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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