Last month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he and legislators in the New York State Assembly had agreed on a "5 Point Ethics Reform Plan," a sweeping proposal to create substantial changes in New York campaign finance law. The reform bill passed out of the legislature in mid-June and is expected to be signed by the governor any day.
Most of the significant changes will become effective 30 days after the governor signs the bill into law, meaning those preparing to get involved in New York state elections this fall will need to become familiar with the new requirements quickly. The changes are particularly important for entities considering making independent expenditures in those elections, as the bill creates a new definition for an "independent expenditure committee" and adds more detail around New York's definition of "coordination." Nonprofit organizations exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(4) are also targets for further disclosure obligations under this new law. Finally, the bill includes specific registration and reporting requirements for "political consultants" - the first-ever provision of its kind in New York law - which may impact many consultants and other service providers active in the political arena.