JCOPE Approves Public Service Announcement Regulations

At its meeting earlier today, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) approved regulations (19 NYCRR Part 940) imposing a 90-day pre-election blackout on appearances in “public service announcements” by statewide officials and legislators who are also candidates for re-election.

The regulations are required under Executive Law § 94(9)(d-1), which requires JCOPE to “[a]dopt, amend and rescind rules and regulations defining the permissible use of and promoting the proper use of public service announcements.” That language was enacted as part of the Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011.