What's happening
This bill prohibits candidates from authorizing more than one political committee per election and requires disavowal of extras.
Why it matters
Tightens oversight and transparency. by ensuring that each candidate can only have one authorized political committee per election, reducing the risk of obscuring campaign finances through multiple committees.
Requires candidates with multiple existing committees. to formally disavow all but one, creating a clear, enforceable paper trail and potentially simplifying investigations into campaign spending or violations.
Addresses leftover campaign funds. by mandating that any money remaining in disavowed committees must be disposed of according to existing campaign finance rules, closing potential loopholes for misusing or hiding funds.
Exempts exploratory committees. (used by officials considering a run) and bars multi-candidate committees from being "authorized," focusing the rule specifically on candidate-specific fundraising and spending, which can help ensure accountability in individual campaigns.
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Who cares
Headline styles
One Committee Per Candidate
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to elections
- Referred to elections
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3094
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 1, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to prohibiting candidates from authorizing more than one political committee for any one election
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 14-112 of the election law, as amended by section 8 of part A of chapter 286 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
§ 14-112. [Political] Authorized committee; political committee authorization statement. 1. Any political committee aiding or taking part in the election or nomination of any candidate, other than a political action committee, shall file, in the office in which the statements of such committee are to be filed pursuant to this article, either a sworn verified statement by the treasurer of such committee and the candidate that [the] such candidate has authorized the political committee to aid or take part in his or her election or a sworn verified statement by the treasurer of such committee that the candidate has not authorized the committee to aid or take part in his or her election.
2. No candidate may authorize more than one political committee for any one election. Any candidate who, on December first, two thousand twenty, has authorized more than one political committee for any one election shall, not later than thirty days after said date, disavow all but one of such committees, in writing, to the state board of elections. This subdivision shall not apply to the authorization of an exploratory committee by an elected public official. A multi-candidate committee may not be an authorized committee.
3. Campaign funds remaining in any disavowed committee shall be disposed of pursuant to this article.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06845-01-9
S. 3094 2
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the state board of elections shall notify all candidates and political committees of the applicable provisions of this act within thirty days after this act shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the election law, in relation to prohibiting candidates from authorizing more than one political committee for any one election
Purpose
This bill is designed to increase the transparency of candidate fundraising and expenditures by limiting to one the number of authorized committees a candidate may have.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends Election Law section 14-112 subdivision 1 to require that political committees supporting the election of a candidate must file a sworn, verified statement by the committee treasurer and the candidate stating that the candidate has authorized the committee to support his or her election, or a sworn, verified statement by the committee treasurer that the candidate has not authorized the committee to support his election. It further amends subdivision 2 to prohibit a candidate from authorizing more than one committee for any election, and requires that if a candidate has more than one authorized committee on December 1, 2012, within thirty days the candidate must disavow all but one such committee in writing to the state board of elections.
Section 2: Provides that the Act takes effect sixty days after it becomes a law.
Existing law
Under the existing law, a candidate is not subject to any limit on the number of committees he or she may have, and the treasurer of the committee is only required to file a sworn, verified statement that the candidate has authorized the political committee, or has not.
Justification
The current law encourages a candidate to have a multiplicity of commit- tees and makes it easier to conceal the money raised and spent.
Legislative history
2017: S4228 - Referred to Elections 2018: S4228 - Referred to Elections
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This bill shall take effect on the sixtieth day after becoming a law, with provisions.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.