S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10237
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               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:
 
   Section  1.    Subdivision 1 of section 14-114 of the election law, as
 amended by chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, paragraphs a and b as amended
 by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
   1. The following limitations apply to all contributions to  candidates
 for election to any public office or for nomination for any such office,
 or  for  election  to  any  party positions, and to all contributions to
 political committees working directly or indirectly with  any  candidate
 to  aid or participate in such candidate's nomination or election, other
 than any contributions to any party committee or constituted committee:
   a. In any election for a public office to be voted on by the voters of
 the entire state, or for nomination to any such office,  no  contributor
 may  make a contribution to any candidate or political committee, and no
 candidate or political committee may accept any  contribution  from  any
 contributor,  which is in the aggregate amount greater than:  (i) in the
 case of any nomination to public office, the product of the total number
 of enrolled voters in the candidate's  party  in  the  state,  excluding
 voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.005, but such amount shall be
 not  [less  than four thousand dollars nor] more than [twelve] TWO thou-
 sand EIGHT HUNDRED dollars as increased or  decreased  by  the  cost  of
 living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision, and (ii)
 in  the  case of any election to a public office, [twenty-five] NOT MORE
 THAN TWO thousand EIGHT HUNDRED dollars as increased or decreased by the
 cost of living adjustment described in paragraph c of this subdivision[;
 provided however, that the maximum amount which may be so contributed or
 accepted, in the aggregate, from any candidate's child,  parent,  grand-
 parent,  brother  and  sister, and the spouse of any such persons, shall
 not exceed in the case of any nomination  to  public  office  an  amount
 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

 date's  party  in the state, excluding voters in inactive status, multi-
 plied by $.025, and in the case of any election for a public office,  an
 amount  equivalent  to the product of the number of registered voters in
 the state excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.025].
   b.  In  any  other  election  for  party position or for election to a
 public office or for nomination for any such office, no contributor  may
 make  a  contribution  to  any  candidate  or political committee and no
 candidate or political committee may accept any  contribution  from  any
 contributor,  which  is in the aggregate amount greater than: (i) in the
 case of any election for party position, or  for  nomination  to  public
 office, the product of the total number of enrolled voters in the candi-
 date's  party  in  the  district  in  which he is a candidate, excluding
 voters in inactive status, multiplied by $.05, and (ii) in the  case  of
 any  election  for  a  public office, the product of the total number of
 registered voters in the district, excluding voters in inactive  status,
 multiplied by $.05[,]; BUT IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY SUCH MAXIMUM EXCEED TWO
 THOUSAND  EIGHT  HUNDRED DOLLARS OR BE LESS THAN ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS AS
 INCREASED OR DECREASED BY THE COST OF  LIVING  ADJUSTMENT  DESCRIBED  IN
 PARAGRAPH  C OF THIS SUBDIVISION; however in the case of a nomination OR
 ELECTION within the city of New York for the  office  of  mayor,  public
 advocate  [or],  comptroller,  BOROUGH  PRESIDENT  OR MEMBER OF THE CITY
 COUNCIL, such amount shall be [not less than four thousand  dollars  nor
 more  than twelve thousand dollars as increased or decreased by the cost
 of living adjustment described in paragraph c of  this  subdivision;  in
 the  case  of  an election within the city of New York for the office of
 mayor, public advocate or comptroller, twenty-five thousand  dollars  as
 increased  or  decreased  by  the cost of living adjustment described in
 paragraph c of this subdivision] EQUAL TO THE  CONTRIBUTION  LIMITS  SET
 FORTH IN PARAGRAPH (F) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION 3-703 OF THE ADMIN-
 ISTRATIVE  CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; PROVIDED HOWEVER in the case of
 a nomination OR ELECTION for state senator, SUCH AMOUNT SHALL BE  [four]
 NOT  MORE  THAN  TWO  thousand  EIGHT  HUNDRED  dollars  as increased or
 decreased by the cost of living adjustment described in paragraph  c  of
 this  subdivision;  [in  the  case of an election for state senator, six
 thousand two hundred fifty dollars as increased or decreased by the cost
 of living adjustment described in paragraph c of this  subdivision;]  in
 the  case  of  [an election or] A nomination OR ELECTION for a member of
 the assembly, [twenty-five hundred] NOT MORE  THAN  TWO  THOUSAND  EIGHT
 HUNDRED  dollars as increased or decreased by the cost of living adjust-
 ment described in paragraph c of this  subdivision[;  but  in  no  event
 shall any such maximum exceed fifty thousand dollars or be less than one
 thousand dollars; provided however, that the maximum amount which may be
 so  contributed  or  accepted,  in  the  aggregate, from any candidate's
 child, parent, grandparent, brother and sister, and the  spouse  of  any
 such  persons,  shall  not  exceed in the case of any election for party
 position or nomination for public office an  amount  equivalent  to  the
 number  of  enrolled  voters in the candidate's party in the district in
 which he is a candidate, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied
 by $.25 and in the case of any election  to  public  office,  an  amount
 equivalent to the number of registered voters in the district, excluding
 voters  in  inactive status, multiplied by $.25; or twelve hundred fifty
 dollars, whichever is greater,  or  in  the  case  of  a  nomination  or
 election  of  a  state  senator,  twenty  thousand dollars, whichever is
 greater, or in the case of a nomination or election of a member  of  the
 assembly twelve thousand five hundred dollars, whichever is greater, but
 in no event shall any such maximum exceed one hundred thousand dollars].

 A. 10237                            3
 
   c.  At the beginning of each [fourth] SECOND calendar year, commencing
 in [nineteen hundred ninety-five] TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-ONE,  the  state
 board  shall determine the percentage of the difference between the most
 recent available monthly consumer price index for  all  urban  consumers
 published  by  the  United  States  bureau  of labor statistics and such
 consumer price index published for  the  same  month  [four]  TWO  years
 previously. The amount of each contribution limit fixed in this subdivi-
 sion  shall  be  adjusted by the amount of such percentage difference to
 the closest one hundred dollars by the state board which, not later than
 the first day of February in each such year, shall  issue  a  regulation
 publishing the amount of each such contribution limit. Each contribution
 limit  as  so adjusted shall be the contribution limit in effect for any
 election held before the next such adjustment.
   § 2. Subdivision 10 of section 14-114 of the election law, as added by
 chapter 79 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
   10. a. No contributor may make a contribution to a  party  or  consti-
 tuted committee and no such committee may accept a contribution from any
 contributor  which,  in the aggregate, is greater than [sixty-two] TWEN-
 TY-FIVE thousand [five hundred] dollars per annum.
   b. At the beginning of each [fourth] SECOND calendar year,  commencing
 in  [nineteen  hundred  ninety-five]  TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE, the state
 board shall determine the percentage of the difference between the  most
 recent  available  monthly  consumer price index for all urban consumers
 published by the United States  bureau  of  labor  statistics  and  such
 consumer  price  index  published  for  the  same month [four] TWO years
 previously. The amount of such contribution limit fixed in  paragraph  a
 of  this  subdivision shall be adjusted by the amount of such percentage
 difference to the closest one hundred dollars by the state board  which,
 not  later than the first day of February in each such year, shall issue
 a regulation publishing the amount  of  such  contribution  limit.  Such
 contribution  limit  as  so  adjusted shall be the contribution limit in
 effect for any election held before the next such adjustment.
   § 3. Subdivision 3 of section 14-124 of the election law,  as  amended
 by section 1 of part B of chapter 286 of the laws of 2016, is amended to
 read as follows:
   3. The contribution and receipt limits of this article shall not apply
 to monies received and expenditures made by a party committee or consti-
 tuted committee to maintain a permanent headquarters and staff and carry
 on  ordinary activities which are not for the express purpose of promot-
 ing the candidacy of specific  candidates;  provided  that  such  monies
 described  in  this  subdivision  shall  be  deposited  in  a segregated
 account. CONTRIBUTIONS MADE FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES TO A PARTY COMMITTEE  OR
 CONSTITUTED  COMMITTEE  SHALL BE LIMITED TO TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS
 IN THE AGGREGATE FROM EACH CONTRIBUTOR IN EACH YEAR.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall  have  become  a  law;  provided,  that  contributions  legally
 received  prior  to  the  effective date of this act may be retained and
 expended for lawful purposes and shall  not  provide  the  basis  for  a
 violation of article 14 of the election law, as amended by this act; and
 provided,  further,  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.