File #: Int 0953-2024    Version: * Name: Limiting bundling of campaign contributions by persons who have business dealings with the city
Type: Introduction Status: Laid Over in Committee
Committee: Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation
On agenda: 6/6/2024
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to limiting bundling of campaign contributions by persons who have business dealings with the city
Sponsors: Lincoln Restler, Gale A. Brewer, Robert F. Holden, Julie Won, Alexa Avilés, Tiffany Cabán, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Chi A. Ossé
Council Member Sponsors: 8
Summary: This bill would prohibit campaigns for city office and their principal committees from accepting contributions bundled by persons who have business dealings with the city if they exceed certain amounts varying by the office being sought. This bill would also clarify that the use of personalized hyperlinks to deliver contributions constitutes bundling.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 953, 2. Int. No. 953, 3. June 6, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 4. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 6-6-24, 5. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - June 6, 2024, 6. Committee Report 6/14/24, 7. Hearing Testimony 6/14/24, 8. Hearing Transcript 6/14/24

Int. No. 953

 

By Council Members Restler, Brewer, Holden, Won, Avilés, Cabán, Gutiérrez and Ossé

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to limiting bundling of campaign contributions by persons who have business dealings with the city

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Subdivision 12 of section 3-702 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 34 for the year 2007, is amended to read as follows:                       

12. The term “intermediary” shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership, political committee, employee organization or other entity which, (i) other than in the regular course of business as a postal, delivery or messenger service, delivers, including though the use of a personalized hyperlink, any contribution from another person or entity to a candidate or other authorized committee; or (ii) solicits contributions to a candidate or other authorized committee where such solicitation is known to such candidate or his or her authorized committee. For purposes of clause (ii) of this subdivision only persons clearly identified as the solicitor of a contribution to the candidate or his or her authorized committee shall be presumed to be known to such candidate or his or her authorized committee. “Intermediary” shall not include spouses, domestic partners, parents, children or siblings of the person making such contribution, or any fundraising agent, as such term is defined in the rules of the board or any hosts of a campaign sponsored fundraising event paid for in whole or in part by the campaign. Where there are multiple individual hosts for a non-campaign sponsored event, the hosts shall designate one such host as the intermediary.

 § 2. Section 3-703 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subdivision 1-d to read as follows:

1-d. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this section, a participating candidate or his or her principal committee may not accept, either directly or by transfer, any contribution or contributions for a covered election in which he or she is a participating candidate which a natural person who has business dealings with the city, as that term is defined in subdivision eighteen of section 3-702, has delivered as described in clause (i) of subdivision twelve of section 3-702 if the aggregate of such contributions to such candidate from such person for all covered elections in the same calendar year exceeds: (i) for the office of mayor, public advocate or comptroller four hundred dollars; (ii) for borough president three hundred twenty dollars; and (iii) for member of the city council two hundred fifty dollars. For purposes of this subdivision, “person” has the same meaning as set forth in subdivision 1-a of this section.

§ 3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 3-718 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 171 for the year 2016 and redesignated by local law number 128 for the year 2019, is amended to read as follows:

(b) A non-participating candidate, and the authorized committees of such a non-participating candidate, shall only accept contributions as limited by the provisions of paragraphs (f) and (l) of subdivision one of section 3-703, subdivision 1-a of section 3-703, subdivision 1-c of section 3-703, subdivision 1-d of section 3-703, subdivision ten of section 3-703, and section 3-707 of this chapter. Notwithstanding any contribution limitations in paragraphs (f) and (h) of subdivision one of section 3-703 and subdivision 1-a of section 3-703, a non-participating candidate may contribute to his or her own nomination for election or election with his or her personal funds or property, in-kind contributions made by the candidate to his or her authorized committees with the candidate's personal funds or property, and advances or loans made by the non-participating candidate with the candidate's personal funds or property. A candidate's personal funds or property shall include his or her funds or property jointly held with his or her spouse, domestic partner, or unemancipated children.

§ 4. This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law.

RL

LS #16469

5/21/2024 1:30 PM