S 564: Relates to special restrictions on campaign contributions for district attorney candidates; requires such candidates to disclose to the board of elections the acceptance of campaign contributions from any law firm that represents defendants in criminal proceedings in any court in the state or from any licensed attorney employed by such law firm.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 564 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to special restrictions on campaign contributions for district attorney candidates The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 2 14-114-a to read as follows: 3 § 14-114-a. Special restrictions for district attorney candidates. 1. 4 The state board of elections shall require that candidates for district 5 attorney shall disclose to the board the acceptance of campaign contrib- 6 utions from any law firm that represents defendants in criminal 7 proceedings in any court in the state of New York or from any licensed 8 attorney employed by such law firm. The board shall promulgate such 9 rules as it deems necessary to implement and administer this section and 10 shall provide that information regarding such contributions shall be 11 accessible to the public. 12 2. The term "legal dealings" means the legal representation of any 13 individual or corporate entity in any criminal proceeding brought 14 against that individual or corporate entity by any district attorney's 15 office in the state of New York. 16 3. The term "legal dealings database" means a computerized database 17 accessible to the board that contains the names of those who have legal 18 dealings with any district attorney in the state, including any law 19 firm, partnership or corporate entity that represents individuals or 20 corporate entities in any criminal proceeding in any court in the state 21 of New York; any licensed attorneys employed by or affiliated with such 22 a law firm, partnership or corporate entity; any person serving as chief 23 executive officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer or 24 persons serving in an equivalent capacity at such a law firm, partner- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01758-01-5 
 S. 564 2 1 ship or corporate entity; any person serving as an equity partner at 2 such a law firm, partnership or corporate entity; and any person with an 3 ownership interest in such a law firm, partnership or corporate entity. 4 Such database shall be developed, maintained and updated by the state 5 board of elections in a manner so as to ensure its reasonable accuracy 6 and completeness; provided, however, that in no event shall such data- 7 base be updated less frequently than once a month. Such computerized 8 database shall contain a function to enable members of the public to 9 determine if a person is in the database due to such person having legal 10 dealings with a district attorney and shall provide a date as to when 11 such person is considered to have begun having legal dealings with a 12 district attorney pursuant to subdivision two of this section. 13 4. A person shall be considered to have legal dealings with a district 14 attorney as of the date the person's name is entered in the "legal deal- 15 ings database", as such date is indicated in such database, or the date 16 the person began having legal dealings with the district attorney, as 17 such date is indicated in the database, whichever is earlier. 18 5. A candidate for district attorney or such candidate's principal 19 committee may not accept, either directly or by transfer, any contrib- 20 ution or contributions for a covered election in which the candidate is 21 a participating candidate from a person or entity who has legal dealings 22 with a district attorney's office, as such term is defined in subdivi- 23 sion two of this section, if the aggregate of such contributions to such 24 candidate from such person for all covered elections in the same calen- 25 dar year exceeds three hundred twenty dollars. Notwithstanding any 26 provision of this subdivision, the limitations on contributions 27 contained herein shall not apply to any contribution made by a natural 28 person who has legal dealings with a district attorney to a participat- 29 ing candidate or such candidate's principal committee where such partic- 30 ipating candidate is the contributor, or where such participating candi- 31 date is the contributor's parent, spouse, domestic partner, sibling, 32 child, grandchild, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece or nephew by blood or by 33 marriage. 34 6. Each district attorney candidate and such candidate's principal 35 committee shall report to the board every contribution, loan, guarantee, 36 or other security for such loan received by the candidate and such 37 committee, the full name, residential address, occupation, employer and 38 business address of each contributor, lender, guarantor or provider of 39 security and of each person or entity which is the intermediary for such 40 contribution, loan, guarantee, or other security for such loan. Disclo- 41 sure reports shall be submitted at such times and in such form as the 42 board shall require and shall be clearly legible. 43 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.