BILL NUMBER: S2362
SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring additional
transferor and contributor identification information in campaign
receipt and expenditure statements
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would require a political committee to disclose a contribu-
tor's occupation, employer, and full name and address along with their
employer's full name and business address.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill would amend subdivision 1 of section 14-102 of the
election law, regarding statements of campaign receipts, contributions,
transfers, and expenditures to and by political committees, as amended
by chapter 8 of the laws of 1978 and as redesignated by chapter 9 of the
laws of 1978, to require a political committee to disclose additional
information regarding contributors who give more than $99 to a political
committee. For individual contributors giving more than $99, the
contributor's full residential address, occupation, employer, and
employer's full business address would be required. For organizational
contributors, their full name and full business address are required.
Any statement reporting a loan requires the full business name and
address of any commercial or business entity providing the loan or the
full name of the person providing the loan including their full residen-
tial address, employer, and full business address.
Section 2 of the bill establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Opaque campaign fundraising practices are having a corrosive effect on
the public's confidence in the integrity of government. Too often, citi-
zens feel that their votes are of little consequence compared to wealthy
campaign donors. The cumulative impact is a significant threat to the
fundamental values of democracy. A fundamental component of campaign
finance laws is that campaign committees must disclose the identity of
contributors. The rationale is that public awareness of who has contrib-
uted may reduce the possibility of elected officials favoring contribu-
tors. Requiring that significant contributors disclose their occupations
and employer's information is necessary to ensure that contributors are
adequately identified and to provide the public with additional informa-
tion that may be useful in assessing where a contributor's interests may
lie and whether an elected official might favor that contributor.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2013-2014: S941/No Same as
2015-2016: S1360/A7321 Pichardo
2017-2018: S1218/A5898 Pichardo
2019-2020: S492/A2028 Pichardo
2021-2022: S2546 Rivera
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of December succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.