NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5950A
SPONSOR: Paulin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to posting finan-
cial disclosure filings for candidates for statewide office or candi-
dates for a member of the legislature
PURPOSE:
This bill requires the website posting of financial disclosure filings
for candidates for state elected office who are required to make such
filings given that such filings, are already public documents, but
unhelpfully are not made easily accessible.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: amends paragraph (k) of subdivision 2 of section 73-a of the
public officers law, to require the Joint Commission on Public Ethics to
post the financial disclosure filings it receives for candidates for
statewide office and candidates to be a member of the State Legislature
to its website within five days of receipt.
Section 2: sets the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION
Language updated to match changes made in the budget. Effective date
amended to January 1, 2023
JUSTIFICATION:
It is important for voters to know about the conflicts and potential
conflicts of interest of candidates running for office. Elected state-
wide office holders and members of the Legislature are already required
to submit financial disclosure filings as public documents and they are
posted publicly on the JCOPE website. However, for candidates for these
offices, while they must submit financial disclosures, in order for the
public to access them, a member of the public has to file-a Freedom of
Information Law request.
This bill furthers democratic accountability, and also begins to recog-
nize that with the accelerated primary schedule, it is important for
public disclosure to occur promptly so that voters can be informed in
advance of the elections.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect January 1, 2023.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5950--A
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 2, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations -- recommitted to the Committee on Govern-
mental Operations in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to posting finan-
cial disclosure filings for candidates for statewide office or candi-
dates for a member of the legislature
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (k) of subdivision 2 of section 73-a of the
2 public officers law, as amended by section 7 of part QQ of chapter 56 of
3 the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
4 (k) The commission on ethics and lobbying in government shall post for
5 at least five years beginning for filings made on January first, two
6 thousand thirteen the annual statement of financial disclosure and any
7 amendments filed by each person subject to the reporting requirements of
8 this subdivision who is an elected official, candidate for statewide
9 office or candidate for a member of the legislature, on its website for
10 public review within [thirty] five days of its receipt of such statement
11 or within [ten] five days of its receipt of such amendment that reflects
12 any corrections of deficiencies identified by the commission or by the
13 reporting individual after the reporting individual's initial filing.
14 Except upon an individual determination by the commission that certain
15 information may be deleted from a reporting individual's annual state-
16 ment of financial disclosure, none of the information in the statement
17 posted on the commission's website shall be otherwise deleted.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2023.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09838-03-2
