L.L. 2003/012

Enactment date: 2/18/2003

Proposed Int. No. 171-A

By Council Member Moskowitz.

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York in relation to strengthening and clarifying the Campaign Finance Act.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Declaration of Legislative Intent and Findings.

The New York City Campaign Finance Act was adopted by the New York City Council in 1988. The Act, through its administration by the Campaign Finance Board, has succeeded in enhancing competition for elective municipal offices, limiting campaign contributions and expenditures to reasonable levels, and vastly increasing public information about the sources and uses of campaign funds. New York City's campaign finance program has been a model for the nation and a first-rate example of successful campaign finance reform in action.

After greater than a decade of experience, the Council seeks to reaffirm the fundamental goals of the Campaign Finance Act and to strengthen this landmark law through changes that are intended to encourage a continued high level of participation in the voluntary program and to protect public funds from fraud and unnecessary expenditures.

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[Consolidated provisions are not included in this Appendix A]

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§ 15. Sections 3 and 7 of this local law shall not have any effect on any adjustments made prior to the effective date of this law pursuant to subdivision 7 of section 3-703 or paragraph (e) of subdivision 1 of section 3-706 of the administrative code.

§ 16. Notwithstanding any provision of this local law to the contrary, an authorized committee, as such term is defined in section 3-702 of the administrative code, authorized by a participating candidate to aid or take part in a covered election scheduled to be held before January first, two thousand and four, that was in existence as of December first, two thousand and two, may continue in existence as such candidate's principal committee, as such term is defined in this local law, notwithstanding that such committee had been authorized or otherwise active for any prior election.

§ 17. This local law shall become effective immediately, except the amendments to subdivision 12 of section 3-703 contained in section 4 of this local law, which shall become effective December thirty-first, two thousand and three.