BILL NUMBER: S5169
SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to requiring
certain individuals to file financial disclosure forms
 
PURPOSE:
To increase transparency of the Regional Economic Development Councils
that provide advice or recommendations to a state officer, agency,
authority, or public benefit corporation on the allocation or disburse-
ment of state or federal money and ensure that members of such councils
do not have conflicts of interest related to such advice.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends the opening paragraph of paragraph (a) of subdivision
2 of section 73-a of the public officer's law to require any member of a
regional economic development council (even if such member is a volun-
teer) to file an annual statement of financial disclosure containing the
information in the form set forth in subdivision three of Public Offi-
cers Law Section 73.
Section 2: Sets Effective Date
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Public Officers Law S§ 73-a and 74 govern financial disclosure and
conflict of interest rules for various state officers and employees.
Currently, Regional Economic Councils (REDCs) are not covered by these
laws, yet they have significant input in distributing billions of
dollars of state funds. For example, on December 11, 2014, it was
announced that 709.2 million dollars had been awarded through Round IV
of the REDCs initiative. Additionally, ensuring budgets, including the
2015-16 and 2017-18 State budgets, allocated billions of dollars of
additional funds on which the REDCs provided input. Despite influencing
billions of dollars of state money, members of the REDCs do not file any
financial disclosure statements, nor are they governed by the conflict-
of-interest provisions in the Public Officers Law.
This bill will provide much-needed increased transparency of the REDCs
by ensuring its members do not have conflicts of interest and file
financial disclosure statements as required by other state officers and
employees.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
Senate
2021: S7362A, Committed to Rules
2022: S7362A, Advanced to Third Reading
2023: S3507, Referred to Ethics and Internal Governance
2024: S3507, Referred to Ethics and Internal Governance
Assembly
2021: A4847A, Referred to Governmental Operations
2022: A4847A, Amend and recommit to Governmental Operations
2023: N/A
2024: A9434, Referred to Governmental Operations
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of June next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.

Statutes affected:
S5169: 73-a public officers law, 73-a(2) public officers law