NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1774

Senate Bill S1774

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to prohibited contributions by hostile foreign nations in connection with a state or local election

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 13, 2025	referred to elections

2025-S1774 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §14-100, add §14-116-a, El L

2025-S1774 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits contributions or donations to be made by hostile foreign nations in connection with a state or local election; makes a knowing violation of such provisions a class A felony, subject to an additional civil penalty equal to the contribution or donation amount plus a fine of up to ten thousand dollars.

2025-S1774 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1774 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1774
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. WALCZYK -- 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  prohibited  contrib-
   utions  by hostile foreign nations in connection with a state or local
   election

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section 14-100 of the election law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 18 to read as follows:
   18. "HOSTILE FOREIGN NATION" MEANS THE NATION OF RUSSIA, CHINA,  IRAN,
 OR  NORTH  KOREA, ANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY OF ANY SUCH NATION OR SUBDIVI-
 SION THEREOF, OR ANY PARTY, ORGANIZATION, GROUP, OR  OTHER  ENTITY  WITH
 OPERATIONAL TIES TO ANY SUCH NATION.
   §  2.  The election law is amended by adding a new section 14-116-a to
 read as follows:
   § 14-116-A. PROHIBITED CONTRIBUTIONS BY HOSTILE  FOREIGN  NATIONS.  1.
 NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, IT SHALL BE UNLAW-
 FUL  FOR  A  HOSTILE  FOREIGN  NATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO MAKE A
 CONTRIBUTION OR DONATION OF MONEY OR OTHER THING OF VALUE, OR TO MAKE AN
 EXPRESS OR IMPLIED PROMISE  TO  MAKE  A  CONTRIBUTION  OR  DONATION,  IN
 CONNECTION WITH A STATE OR LOCAL ELECTION.
   2.  IT  SHALL  BE  UNLAWFUL  FOR A HOSTILE FOREIGN NATION, DIRECTLY OR
 INDIRECTLY, TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OR DONATION TO A CONSTITUTED  COMMIT-
 TEE,  INDEPENDENT  EXPENDITURE  COMMITTEE, POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR PARTY
 COMMITTEE.
   3. IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR A  HOSTILE  FOREIGN  NATION,  DIRECTLY  OR
 INDIRECTLY,   TO   MAKE  AN  EXPENDITURE,  INDEPENDENT  EXPENDITURE,  OR
 DISBURSEMENT FOR A POLITICAL COMMUNICATION.
   4. IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO KNOWINGLY SOLICIT, ACCEPT,  OR
 RECEIVE  A CONTRIBUTION OR DONATION DESCRIBED IN SUBDIVISION ONE, TWO OR
 THREE OF THIS SECTION FROM A HOSTILE FOREIGN NATION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05115-01-5

 S. 1774                             2
 
   5. IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON WHO RECEIVES  A  CONTRIBUTION  OR
 DONATION  FROM  A  HOSTILE  FOREIGN  NATION  TO USE SUCH CONTRIBUTION OR
 DONATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FOR ANY OF THE PURPOSES  DESCRIBED  IN
 SUBDIVISION  ONE,  TWO,  OR  THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION, OR TO CONTRIBUTE,
 DONATE,  TRANSFER,  OR CONVEY FUNDS FROM SUCH A CONTRIBUTION OR DONATION
 TO ANOTHER PERSON FOR USE FOR ANY OF THE PURPOSES DESCRIBED IN  SUBDIVI-
 SION ONE, TWO, OR THREE OF THIS SECTION.
   6.  ANY PERSON FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE GUILTY OF A
 CLASS A FELONY AND SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A  CIVIL  PENALTY  EQUAL  TO  THE
 CONTRIBUTION  OR  DONATION  AMOUNT  PLUS  A  FINE  OF UP TO TEN THOUSAND
 DOLLARS, TO BE RECOVERABLE IN A SPECIAL PROCEEDING OR CIVIL ACTION TO BE
 BROUGHT BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS CHIEF ENFORCEMENT COUNSEL.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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