What's happening
This bill allows student interns to lobby the legislature immediately after their internships end.
Why it matters
Impacts students who intern with the state legislature. specifically those participating through college, university, or legislative programs—by allowing them to immediately become paid lobbyists after their internships, unlike full-time legislative staff who must wait two years.
Affects the pipeline into lobbying jobs. in Albany by creating a new, faster track for politically-engaged students, potentially increasing youth representation and influence in legislative advocacy, while raising questions about fairness and revolving-door practices.
Represents a significant change to ethics rules. for a specific subset of legislative workers, signaling a shift in how New York handles post-service restrictions and potentially setting a precedent for other states or intern programs.
Albany, before your first meeting.
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Who cares
Current and Prospective Student Interns
These individuals care because the bill specifically exempts them from the two-year lobbying ban, potentially opening up immediate post-internship career opportunities in lobbying and advocacy roles.
Colleges, Universities, and Legislative Internship Programs
These institutions and programs are stakeholders because the exemption could make their internship offerings more attractive, helping with recruitment and placement outcomes for students interested in government and policy work.
Lobbying Firms and Advocacy Organizations
These groups care because the change gives them earlier access to talent with recent legislative experience, possibly influencing their hiring strategies and pipeline development.
- Likely concerns
Ethics and Good Governance Advocates
They may be concerned about the integrity of the legislative process and revolving door issues, and will care about how this exemption could impact perceptions of fairness and ethical standards in government.
Headline styles
Let Interns Lobby Sooner
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to ethics and internal governance
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10483
IN SENATE
May 15, 2026
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Ethics and Internal Governance
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to exempting student interns from the two-year lobbying prohibition
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 8 of section 73 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 14 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
(iii) No person who has served as a member of the legislature shall within a period of two years after the termination of such service receive compensation for any services on behalf of any person, firm, corporation or association to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, the passage of bills or resolutions by either house of the legislature. No legislative employee, except for student interns participating through a college, university or legislative program, shall within a period of two years after the termination of such service receive compensation for any services on behalf of any person, firm, corporation or association to appear, practice or directly communicate before either house of the legislature to promote or oppose the passage of bills or resolutions by either house of the legislature.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15932-01-6
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to exempting student interns from the two-year lobbying prohibition
Purpose
To exclude student interns from the two-year lobby ban.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 8 of section 73 of the public officers law.
Section 2: Sets forth the effective date.
Justification
Students participating in academic internships through the New York State legislature should be explicitly excluded from the post-employment lobbying restriction.
Currently, the state Public Officers Law imposes a mandatory two-year revolving door lobby ban on all legislative employees. This policy treats temporary student interns the same as full-time career legisla- tive staff.
Recent graduates are barred from entry-level policy, advocacy, and government affairs positions that require any form of lobbying.
This amendment would exempt academic interns and exclude individuals whose employment is part of an official university or legislative internship program.
This amendment strikes a balance between maintaining strict confiden- tiality requirements for interns without restricting their post-gradua- tion employment search.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Thirtieth day after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.