S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 1796 1997-1998 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y January 16, 1997 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MATUSOW, CHRISTENSEN, HARENBERG, HOCHBERG, DINOW- ITZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COLMAN, DESTITO, ENGLEBRIGHT, GROMACK, JOHN, MAGEE, MORELLE, SIDIKMAN, SWEENEY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the classification of certain components of a controlled group of corporations as a single entity for purposes of calculating contribution limits, and requiring the identification of the interests of certain contributors The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- ______________________________________________________________________ bly, do enact as follows: _________________________ 1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 14-116 of the election law, as 2 amended by chapter 260 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this section, 5 any corporation or an organization financially supported in whole or in 6 part, by such corporation may make expenditures, including contrib- 7 utions, not otherwise prohibited by law, for political purposes, in an 8 amount not to exceed five thousand dollars in the aggregate in any 9 calendar year; provided that no public utility shall use revenues 10 received from the rendition of public service within the state for 11 contributions for political purposes unless such cost is charged to the 12 shareholders of such a public service corporation. For the purposes of _____________________ 13 this subdivision, all the component members of a controlled group of ________________________________________________________________________ 14 corporations within the meaning of section one thousand five hundred ________________________________________________________________________ 15 sixty-three of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States shall be ________________________________________________________________________ 16 deemed to be one corporation. _____________________________ 17  2. Subdivision 1 of section 14-118 of the election law, as amended 18 by chapter 70 of the laws of 1983, is amended to read as follows: 19 1. Every political committee shall have a treasurer and a depository, 20 and shall cause the treasurer to keep detailed, bound accounts of all 21 receipts, transfers, loans, liabilities, contributions and expenditures, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets _______ [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04578-01-7 A. 1796 2 1 made by the committee or any of its officers, members or agents acting 2 under its authority or in its behalf. All such accounts shall be 3 retained by a treasurer for a period of five years from the date of the 4 filing of the final statement with respect to the election, primary 5 election or convention to which they pertain. No officer, member or 6 agent of any political committee shall receive any receipt, transfer or 7 contribution, or make any expenditure or incur any liability until the 8 committee shall have chosen a treasurer and depository and filed their 9 names in accordance with this subdivision. There shall be filed in the 10 office in which the committee is required to file its statements under 11 section 14-110 of this article, within five days after the choice of a 12 treasurer and depository, a statement giving the name and address of the 13 treasurer chosen, the name and address of any person authorized to sign 14 checks by such treasurer, the name and address of the depository chosen 15 and the candidate or candidates or ballot proposal or proposals the 16 success or defeat of which the committee is to aid or take part; 17 provided, however, that such statement shall not be required of a 18 constituted committee and provided further that a political committee 19 which makes no expenditures, to aid or take part in the election or 20 defeat of a candidate, other than in the form of contributions, shall 21 not be required to list the candidates being supported or opposed by 22 such committee. Such a statement from any committee other than a party ________________________________________________________ 23 or authorized committee also shall clearly identify the economic or ________________________________________________________________________ 24 other special interest, if identifiable, of a majority of its contribu- ________________________________________________________________________ 25 tors, and if a majority of its contributors share a common employer, ________________________________________________________________________ 26 shall identify the employer. If the economic or other special interest ________________________________________________________________________ 27 or common employer are not identifiable, such statement of a multi-can- ________________________________________________________________________ 28 didate committee shall clearly identify the economic or other special ________________________________________________________________________ 29 interest, if identifiable, of a majority of its organizers, and if a ________________________________________________________________________ 30 majority of its organizers share a common employer, shall identify the ________________________________________________________________________ 31 employer, and if organized, controlled or maintained by an individual, ________________________________________________________________________ 32 shall identify that individual. Such statement shall be signed by the _______________________________ 33 treasurer and all other persons authorized to sign checks. Any change in 34 the information required in any statement shall be reported, in an 35 amended statement filed in the same manner and in the same office as an 36 original statement filed under this section, within two days after it 37 occurs. Only a banking organization authorized to do business in this 38 state may be designated a depository hereunder. 39  3. This act shall take effect immediately.