Section 3-709. New York city campaign finance fund

1. There is hereby
  established a special fund, to be known as the New  York  city  campaign
  finance  fund.  The  moneys in such fund may be expended by the campaign
  finance  board  only  as  payments  for  participating   candidates   in
  accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
    2. The fund shall be kept separate and shall be credited with all sums
  appropriated  therefor,  any  donations received pursuant to subdivision
  nine of this section and all earnings accruing on such funds.
    3. As soon as practicable in the year  nineteen  hundred  eighty-eight
  and  in time for inclusion in the executive expense budget in every year
  thereafter, and at such other times as the board shall  deem  necessary,
  the  board shall submit its estimate of the amount of public funds which
  will  be  necessary  to  provide  candidates  sufficient  financing  for
  elections  in the next year in which elections are scheduled pursuant to
  the charter and for elections to fill vacancies to be held prior to such
  year, and a reserve for contingencies. Such estimates shall be submitted
  in such manner and at such times as to assure that such amounts as shall
  be necessary may be appropriated in full by the beginning of the  fiscal
  year  prior  to  that  in  which elections are scheduled pursuant to the
  charter and that additional amounts may be appropriated as necessary.
    4. The moneys in such fund shall be paid to  participating  candidates
  by  the  board  upon  its certification that such candidates qualify for
  such funds.
    5. No moneys shall be paid to participating candidates  in  a  primary
  election  any  earlier  than  two  weeks  after  the  last  day  to file
  designating petitions for such primary election.
    6. (a) No moneys shall  be  paid  to  participating  candidates  in  a
  run-off  primary election held pursuant to section 6-162 of the election
  law or in a general election any earlier than the day after the  day  of
  the primary election held to nominate candidates for such election.
    (b)  No  moneys shall be paid to participating candidates in a run-off
  special election held to fill a vacancy any earlier than the  day  after
  the  day of the special election for which such run-off special election
  is held.
    7. No moneys shall be paid to any participating candidate who has been
  finally disqualified or whose designating or nominating  petitions  have
  been finally declared invalid by the New York city board of elections or
  a  court  of  competent  jurisdiction.  Any payment from the fund in the
  possession of such a candidate or his or her principal committee on  the
  date  of  such final disqualification or invalidation may not thereafter
  be expended for any purpose except the payment of  liabilities  incurred
  in  qualified  campaign  expenditures  before  such  date  and  shall be
  promptly repaid to the fund.
    8. Prior to the first distribution of public funds  to  candidates  in
  any election, the board shall make a determination whether the moneys in
  the  fund  are sufficient to provide all candidates the amounts they may
  receive pursuant to this chapter for all elections to be held during the
  calendar year for which such determination is made.  Such  determination
  shall  be  published  in  the  City  Record,  together  with information
  supporting such determination.
    9. The board shall be empowered to accept donations to be credited  to
  the fund. The board may devise such methods of soliciting and collecting
  donations as it may deem feasible and appropriate.