BILL NUMBER: S2224A
SPONSOR: KRUEGER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to relieving reporting
requirements on small nonprofits
 
PURPOSE:
To raise the lobbying requirement threshold to make it easier for
nonprofit organizations to participate in advocacy work.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends subdivision le(a) (4) of the New York State Legisla-
tive Law to increase the expenditure amount from five thousand dollars
to ten thousand dollars for 501(c)(3) organizations commencing in the
year 2026.
Section two amends subdivision 1-e(e) (1) (iii-iv) of the New York State
Legislative Law to provide new requirements for registration and filing
after calendar year 2025.
Section three amends subdivision 1-h(a) of the New York State Legisla-
tive Law to increase the lobbying threshold for 501(c)(3) organizations.
Section four amends subdivision 1-j(a) of the New York State Legislative
Law to amend the lobbying threshold for 501(c)(3) organizations for the
purpose of semi-annual reports.
Section five provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Nonprofit organizations often represent the needs of our communities,
but fewer than 3% of nonprofits engage in legislative advocacy. Many
organizations don't engage in advocacy because of negative associations
with the terms "advocacy" and "lobbying", or because of consulting
registration and reporting requirements. The rules for nonprofit organ-
izations to lobby can seem complicated and burdensome, and nonprofits
are the most tightly regulated of all sectors that lobby.
The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (CELIG)requires
organization that expect to spend more than $5,000 in a year doing
legislative advocacy to: register as a lobbyist; familiarize themselves
with the CELIG's regulations; file a minimum of 6 reports each year; and
risk paying late fees ranging from $75 to $2,000 per filing. This is
very burdensome, particularly for smaller nonprofit organiazatlons. New
York's nonprofit sector employs 1.38 million people and 17.7z of the
state's workforce and Generates more than $260.26 billion in annual
revenues. This legislation will expand the ability for the nonprofit
sector to advocate for New York's most vulnerable communities.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S.5499a/A.5100a - Passed Senate
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.

Statutes affected:
S2224: 1-h legislative law, 1-j legislative law
S2224A: 1-h legislative law, 1-j legislative law