Senate ethics committee advances four bills on disclosure, consultant pay and nonprofit reporting to floor

The New York State Senate Committee on Ethics and Internal Governance voted to advance four bills to the Senate floor during a committee meeting where members cast recorded approvals, oppositions and advisory votes.

Chair Senator Shelley said the committee was voting on four bills and moved each forward. The measures include S.2047, which would amend the Legislative Law to change the definition of a reportable business relationship for certain employees at the State University of New York and the City University of New York; S.2224-A, which would raise a lobbying-related expense reporting threshold for small nonprofits from $5,000 to $10,000; S.4039, which would amend the Public Officers Law, Public Authorities Law and General Municipal Law to prohibit certain persons from receiving compensation from industrial development agencies, economic development corporations or other state or local authorities and to add consultant disclosure requirements; and S.4857-A, which would require posting financial-disclosure filings for candidates for statewide elective office and for candidates for the Legislature.

The committee chair moved each bill and asked for seconds. For S.2224-A, a committee member identified as Senator Lewis seconded the motion. For S.4039, Senator Rose seconded. The committee recorded votes and several members registered opposition or “AWR” (recorded as advisory/with reservation in the transcript). At least one member, Senator Lance, was recorded voting “nay” on multiple measures. Despite some recorded opposition and AWRs, each of the four bills was reported out of committee to the Senate floor.

Committee discussion as reflected in the record was procedural: members noted that S.2047 had been amended from a prior version that had drawn objections from the governor’s office, and the chair said the committee was placing those amendments on the record. On S.2224-A, the sponsor described the change as raising the lobbying-related expense threshold from $5,000 to $10,000 to relieve small nonprofit reporting burdens. On S.4039, the committee summary described the measure’s intent to limit opportunities for certain officials and political figures to be paid for legal, consulting or contractual services by public authorities and to require additional disclosure by consultants. For S.4857-A the committee sponsor said the bill would make candidate financial-disclosure filings publicly posted; members who have run for office spoke in favor of requiring disclosure.

The record includes several procedural notations: seconds entered “as a courtesy,” and multiple members registered “AWR” during votes. The meeting concluded with the chair saying the session likely was the committee’s last unless additional authority were granted to convene again.

Votes at a glance

- S.2047 (by Senator Webb): Amend Legislative Law regarding reportable business relationships for certain SUNY and CUNY employees — Moved out of committee to the floor; recorded opposition noted (at least one “nay” by Senator Lance); bill was amended from a prior version that had been reviewed by the governor’s office. Mover: Senator Shelley (moved). Second: not specified in transcript. Outcome: approved by committee and reported to floor.

- S.2224-A (by Senator Krueger): Raise lobbying-related expense threshold for small nonprofits from $5,000 to $10,000 — Moved out of committee to the floor. Second: Senator Lewis (seconded). Oppositions recorded (Senator Lance and others). Outcome: approved by committee and reported to floor.

- S.4039 (by Senator Scoofus): Amend Public Officers Law, Public Authorities Law and General Municipal Law to prohibit certain persons from receiving compensation from industrial development agencies/economic development corporations and to add consultant disclosure requirements — Moved out of committee to the floor. Second: Senator Rose (seconded). Some members recorded as “AWR” or opposed. Outcome: approved by committee and reported to floor.

- S.4857-A (by Senator Scoofus): Amend Public Officers Law and Executive Law to require posting of financial-disclosure filings for candidates for statewide office and legislative candidates — Moved out of committee to the floor. Second: not specified in transcript. Outcome: approved by committee and reported to floor.

All procedural motions and votes reported in the transcript were recorded as committee action advancing the bills to the Senate floor; the transcript does not record final Senate votes or implementation details.

Sources and attribution

Quotes and procedural statements in this account are taken from the committee meeting record, which identifies Senator Shelley as the committee chair. Other named senators appearing in the transcript include Senator Rhodes, Senator Webb, Senator Krueger, Senator Lewis, Senator Lance, Senator Palumbo, Senator Colombo, Senator Polanco, Senator Rose and a reader/clerical speaker who read bill titles and summaries.