S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1229

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             January 8, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. DINOWITZ, GALEF -- read once and referred to the
  Committee on Election Law

AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the  classification  of
  certain  components  of a controlled group of corporations as a single
  entity for purposes of calculating contribution limits, and  requiring
  the identification of the interests of certain contributors

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 14-116 of  the  election  law,  as
amended  by  chapter  260  of  the  laws  of 1981, is amended to read as
follows:
  2.  Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this section,
any corporation or an organization financially supported in whole or  in
part,  by  such  corporation  may  make expenditures, including contrib-
utions, not otherwise prohibited by law, for political purposes,  in  an
amount  not  to  exceed  five  thousand  dollars in the aggregate in any
calendar year; provided  that  no  public  utility  shall  use  revenues
received  from  the  rendition  of  public  service within the state for
contributions for political purposes unless such cost is charged to  the
shareholders  of  such a public service corporation. FOR THE PURPOSES OF
THIS SUBDIVISION, ALL THE COMPONENT MEMBERS OF  A  CONTROLLED  GROUP  OF
CORPORATIONS  WITHIN  THE  MEANING  OF SECTION ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED
SIXTY-THREE OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF THE UNITED STATES  SHALL  BE
DEEMED TO BE ONE CORPORATION.
  S  2.  Subdivision 1 of section 14-118 of the election law, as amended
by chapter 156 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
  1. Every political committee shall have a treasurer and a  depository,
and  shall  cause  the treasurer to keep detailed, bound accounts of all
receipts, transfers, loans, liabilities, contributions and expenditures,
made by the committee or any of its officers, members or  agents  acting
under  its  authority  or  in  its  behalf.  All  such accounts shall be

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01078-01-5
              

A. 1229                             2

retained by a treasurer for a period of five years from the date of  the
filing  of  the  final  statement  with respect to the election, primary
election or convention to which they  pertain.  No  officer,  member  or
agent  of any political committee shall receive any receipt, transfer or
contribution, or make any expenditure or incur any liability  until  the
committee  shall  have chosen a treasurer and depository and filed their
names in accordance with this subdivision. There shall be filed  in  the
office  in  which the committee is required to file its statements under
section 14-110 of this article, within five days after the choice  of  a
treasurer and depository, a statement giving the name and address of the
treasurer  chosen, the name and address of any person authorized to sign
checks by such treasurer, the name and address of the depository  chosen
and  the  candidate  or  candidates  or ballot proposal or proposals the
success or defeat of which  the  committee  is  to  aid  or  take  part;
provided,  however,  that  such  statement  shall  not  be required of a
constituted committee and provided further that  a  political  committee
which  makes  no  expenditures,  to  aid or take part in the election or
defeat of a candidate, other than in the form  of  contributions,  shall
not  be  required  to  list the candidates being supported or opposed by
such committee.  SUCH A STATEMENT FROM ANY COMMITTEE OTHER THAN A  PARTY
OR  AUTHORIZED  COMMITTEE  ALSO  SHALL  CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE ECONOMIC OR
OTHER SPECIAL INTEREST, IF IDENTIFIABLE, OF A MAJORITY OF ITS  CONTRIBU-
TORS,  AND  IF  A  MAJORITY OF ITS CONTRIBUTORS SHARE A COMMON EMPLOYER,
SHALL IDENTIFY THE EMPLOYER. IF THE ECONOMIC OR OTHER  SPECIAL  INTEREST
OR  COMMON EMPLOYER ARE NOT IDENTIFIABLE, SUCH STATEMENT OF A MULTI-CAN-
DIDATE COMMITTEE SHALL CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE ECONOMIC  OR  OTHER  SPECIAL
INTEREST,  IF  IDENTIFIABLE,  OF  A MAJORITY OF ITS ORGANIZERS, AND IF A
MAJORITY OF ITS ORGANIZERS SHARE A COMMON EMPLOYER, SHALL  IDENTIFY  THE
EMPLOYER,  AND  IF ORGANIZED, CONTROLLED OR MAINTAINED BY AN INDIVIDUAL,
SHALL IDENTIFY THAT INDIVIDUAL. Such statement shall be  signed  by  the
treasurer and all other persons authorized to sign checks. Any change in
the  information  required  in  any  statement  shall be reported, in an
amended statement filed in the same manner and in the same office as  an
original  statement  filed  under this section, within two days after it
occurs, except that any change to the mailing address on any such state-
ment filed at the state board may also be  made  in  any  manner  deemed
acceptable by the state board. Only a banking organization authorized to
do business in this state may be designated a depository hereunder.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.