Today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed Senate Bill 8160, part of his five-point ethics reform package introduced earlier this year. Effective immediately, individuals working in public relations are no longer required to register or report as lobbyists.

Other major changes to lobbying law will take effect 30 days from today. The most important of these changes are: lobbyists and lobbyist employers will face lower reporting thresholds, and 501(c)(4) organizations engaged in lobbying activity will be required to disclose all donors, including 501(c)(3) organizations.

In the realm of campaign finance, the new reform provides definitions and permissible actions for two types of political committees and increased disclosure from PACs.