Relates to the term "reportable business relationship" as it relates to certain employees of the state university of New York and the city university of New York.
Summary
A00617 amends New York’s Legislative Law definition of “reportable business relationship” for lobbying disclosure purposes. Under current law, certain compensation arrangements between lobbyists (or their clients) and state officers, legislators, legislative employees, and related entities must be reported when the value exceeds $1,000 annually. This bill creates a specific exemption for individuals employed by a college or university, including SUNY and CUNY, when their only state employment is in a teaching role such as professor, adjunct professor, lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or a similar teaching position.
The exemption applies only when that teaching role does not include supervision of other state employees or management of grant-funded projects or research. In effect, the bill narrows the set of university employees whose outside business relationships can trigger lobbying-reporting obligations, while leaving the broader reporting framework intact for other public officials and employees. The bill takes effect immediately.
Impact
The bill would amend section 1-c of the Legislative Law, carving out certain SUNY and CUNY teaching faculty from the definition of a “reportable business relationship” for lobbying disclosure purposes. This reduces reporting obligations for lobbyists and their clients when dealing with covered faculty whose state employment is limited to teaching and does not involve supervisory or grant-management duties. It does not change the underlying lobbying registration system, but it does alter who is treated as a covered state employee for this specific disclosure rule.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the measure. It advanced unanimously in the Assembly Governmental Operations Committee and passed the Assembly floor without opposition, indicating little visible resistance at those stages. The Rules Committee vote was also favorable, though not unanimous, suggesting some members may have had reservations or wanted further review even as the bill moved forward comfortably.
Contention
The main policy issue is whether teaching faculty at SUNY and CUNY should be treated like other state employees for purposes of lobbying-related disclosure. Supporters appear to view the exemption as a targeted clarification for academic employees whose roles are primarily instructional and not managerial. Potential concerns would center on whether the exemption could narrow transparency requirements too far or create ambiguity around faculty who have mixed duties, especially where supervision or grant-funded research management is involved. The bill addresses that concern by excluding faculty with those additional responsibilities from the exemption.
Same As
Relates to the term "reportable business relationship" as it relates to certain employees of the state university of New York and the city university of New York.
Relates to the term "reportable business relationship" as it relates to certain employees of the state university of New York and the city university of New York.
Modifies the term "reportable business relationship" as it relates to certain employees of the state university of New York and the city university of New York where their only form of state employment is with the state university of New York or city university of New York.
Provides certain members of the optional retirement program with an additional three percent statutory state contribution for the members of the optional retirement program for employees of both the State University of New York and the City University of New York.
Requires the state university of New York and the city university of New York to examine and conduct a study on the availability of campus services, programs and resources for veteran students.
Enacts the "New York saves lives act" to authorize any New York state resident aged sixteen and older to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor through the New York state donate life registry; adds a New York state donate life registry option on admission applications to the state university of New York and the city university of New York.
Prohibits the state university of New York from contracting out to the ground lessee or any subsidiary of the ground lessee or the research foundation for the state university of New York for any services or privatize any services currently being performed by employees in the unclassified service at the state university of New York at Albany.