S 8591: Establishes the commission to investigate foreign influence on governmental employees and elections.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8591 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE November 26, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ASHBY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT in relation to establishing a commission to investigate foreign influence on governmental employees and elections; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. There is hereby established a commission to investigate 2 foreign influence on governmental employees and elections, hereinafter 3 referred to as "the commission". Such commission shall consist of 25 4 members to be appointed as follows: five members appointed by the gover- 5 nor; five members appointed by the speaker of the assembly; five members 6 appointed by the temporary president of the senate; five members 7 appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and five members 8 appointed by the minority leader of the senate. The commission shall 9 elect from its appointed members a chairperson or chairpersons by a 10 majority vote of the total number of members of the commission. Such 11 chairperson or chairpersons shall preside over all commission meetings 12 and shall have the power to schedule meetings of the commission as such 13 chairperson or chairpersons deem necessary for the proper execution of 14 its duties. 15 § 2. The commission shall: 16 (a) Investigate weaknesses in existing laws, regulations and proce- 17 dures relating to the regulation of lobbying, including but not limited 18 to examining compliance by organizations and other persons engaged in 19 lobbying and other attempts to influence public policies or elections, 20 including foreign entities, with the requirements of existing state laws 21 administered by the commission on ethics and lobbying in government, and 22 the sufficiency of such requirements; and make recommendations to reform 23 any weaknesses uncovered in such laws, regulations and procedures. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07434-01-5 
 S. 8591 2 1 (b) Investigate weaknesses in existing laws, regulations and proce- 2 dures relating to addressing public corruption, conflicts of interest, 3 and ethics in state government, including but not limited to, criminal 4 laws protecting against abuses of the public trust; and make recommenda- 5 tions to reform any weaknesses uncovered in such laws, regulations and 6 procedures. 7 (c) Investigate weaknesses in existing laws, regulations, and proce- 8 dures relating to governmental employees acting on behalf of a foreign 9 entity, or nation; and make recommendations to reform any weaknesses 10 uncovered in such laws, regulations and procedures. 11 (d) Investigate weaknesses in existing laws, regulations and proce- 12 dures relating to addressing the influence of foreign entities on 13 elected officials, state employees, and election campaigns; and make 14 recommendations to reform any weaknesses uncovered in such laws, regu- 15 lations and procedures. 16 (e) Conduct public hearings around the state to provide opportunities 17 for members of the public and interested parties to comment on the 18 issues and the scope of its work. 19 § 3. Pursuant to subdivision 8 of section 63 of the executive law, the 20 governor shall direct that the attorney general inquire into the matters 21 set forth in this act, that involve public peace, public safety, and 22 public justice, and request that the attorney general do so by appoint- 23 ing those of the appointed commissioners who are attorneys as deputy 24 attorneys general and delegating to such deputy attorneys general the 25 authority to exercise the investigative powers that are provided for in 26 an investigation pursuant to such subdivision. 27 § 4. Members of the commission shall have all the powers and authority 28 that may be given or granted to persons appointed under authority of 29 section 6 and subdivision 8 of section 63 of the executive law, includ- 30 ing, but not limited to, the powers to subpoena and enforce the attend- 31 ance of individual witnesses, both public and private, to administer 32 oaths and examine witnesses under oath, and to require the production of 33 any books or papers deemed relevant or material; provided, however, that 34 (a) the chairperson or chairpersons of the commission shall unanimously 35 approve any subpoena prior to its issuance; and (b) the chairperson or 36 chairpersons of the commission shall unanimously approve such procedures 37 and rules as they believe necessary to govern the exercise of the powers 38 and authority given or granted to the members of the commission pursuant 39 to section 6 and subdivision 8 of section 63 of the executive law, 40 including rules designed to provide transparency while protecting the 41 integrity of the investigation and rights to privacy. 42 § 5. If in the course of its inquiry, the commission obtains evidence 43 of a violation of existing laws, such evidence shall be communicated to 44 the office of the attorney general and other appropriate law enforcement 45 authorities, and the commission shall take steps to facilitate jurisdic- 46 tional referrals where appropriate. The superintendent of the division 47 of state police shall, as appropriate, authorize the attorney general, 48 pursuant to the provisions of subdivision 3 of section 63 of the execu- 49 tive law, to conduct an investigation of any indictable offense or 50 offenses arising out of any activity that is the subject of an inquiry 51 by the commission, and to prosecute the person or persons believed to 52 have committed the same and any crime or offense uncovered by such 53 investigation or prosecution or both, including but not limited to, 54 appearing before and presenting all such matters to a grand jury. The 55 commission shall cooperate with prosecutorial agencies to avoid jeopard- 56 izing ongoing investigations and prosecutions. 
 S. 8591 3 1 § 6. Every department, board, bureau, and commission of the state, 2 including but not limited to state agencies, shall provide to the 3 commission every assistance and cooperation, including use of state 4 facilities, which may be necessary or desirable for the accomplishment 5 of the duties or purposes of this section. 6 § 7. The commission shall issue a preliminary policy report on or 7 before May 1, 2026, setting forth its initial findings and making such 8 recommendations as required by this act for the express purpose of 9 consideration and enactment of statutory reforms by the governor and the 10 legislature in the 2026 legislative session. On or before May 1, 2027, 11 the commission shall make a final policy report to the governor and the 12 legislature of its findings and recommendations. All such reports must 13 be approved by a majority of the members of the commission. 14 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 15 deemed repealed 6 months after the submission of the final report by the 16 commission to investigate foreign influence on governmental employees 17 and elections pursuant to section seven of this act; provided, however, 18 that a chairperson of the commission to investigate foreign influence on 19 governmental employees and elections shall notify the legislative bill 20 drafting commission upon the occurrence of the submission of the final 21 report by such commission pursuant to section seven of this act in order 22 that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data 23 base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furth- 24 erance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative 25 law and section 70-b of the public officers law.