Bill Text: NY A01110 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a temporary state commission on the electoral process to make recommendations for new voting technology and provides for grants to localities to improve voting procedures; appropriates $25,000,000 therefor.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - referred to election law [A01110 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A01110-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1110 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 10, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Election Law AN ACT to create a temporary state commission on the electoral process and to provide for the making of grants by the state board of elections to local boards of election for the improvement of the elec- toral process and making an appropriation therefor; and providing for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. A temporary state commission on the electoral process is 2 hereby created to examine, evaluate, and make recommendations pertaining 3 to the electoral process, with particular focus on the procedures 4 involved in the conduct of the process of voting at polling places. The 5 commission shall direct its attention to the availability, feasibility, 6 and reliability of new technologies for the conduct of voting. 7 § 2. The commission shall consist of 13 members, each to serve for a 8 term of 2 years, to be forthwith appointed as follows: 2 shall be 9 appointed by the temporary president of the senate and 1 by the minority 10 leader of the senate; 2 shall be appointed by the speaker of the assem- 11 bly and 1 by the minority leader of the assembly; 7 shall be appointed 12 by the governor. The appointees shall be broadly representative of the 13 geographic areas of the state. No more than 4 appointees shall be legis- 14 lators. The governor shall designate the chair and vice chair from among 15 his or her appointees. Vacancies in the membership of the commission and 16 among its officers shall be filled in the manner provided for original 17 appointments. 18 § 3. The commission may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel 19 as it may deem necessary for the performance of its functions and fix 20 their compensation within the amounts made available therefor. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04232-01-7A. 1110 2 1 § 4. The commission may meet within and without the state, shall hold 2 public hearings, and shall have all the powers of a legislative commit- 3 tee pursuant to the legislative law. 4 § 5. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for 5 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses 6 incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder. 7 § 6. To the maximum extent feasible, the commission shall be entitled 8 to request and receive and shall utilize and be provided with such 9 facilities, resources, and data of any court, department, division, 10 board, bureau, commission, or agency of the state or any political 11 subdivision thereof as it may reasonably request to carry out properly 12 its powers and duties hereunder. 13 § 7. The commission shall make a preliminary report to the governor 14 and the legislature of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations 15 not later than July 1, 2018 and a final report of its findings, conclu- 16 sions, and recommendations not later than January 1, 2019, and shall 17 submit with its reports such legislative proposals as it deems necessary 18 to implement its recommendations. 19 § 8. Within the amounts appropriated therefor, the state board of 20 elections shall make grants to local boards of elections for the follow- 21 ing purposes: 22 a. To increase the numbers and improve the training of election 23 inspectors and other poll workers; 24 b. To improve procedures for the testing, maintenance, and repair of 25 voting machines; 26 c. To enhance the implementation of the National Voter Registration 27 Act of 1993; 28 d. To improve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act 29 insofar as such act applies to voting; and 30 e. To improve the application and enforcement of laws pertaining to 31 eligibility of students to register and vote in the jurisdictions in 32 which they attend an institution of higher education. 33 In making such grants the state board of elections shall give priority 34 to jurisdictions according to the volume of complaints and known prob- 35 lems. 36 § 9. The sum of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000), or so much 37 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the state board 38 of elections from any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund 39 to the credit of the local assistance account, not otherwise appropri- 40 ated, for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of section eight 41 of this act. Such sum shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the 42 state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the state board 43 of elections, or its duly designated representative in the manner 44 provided by law. No expenditure shall be made from this appropriation 45 until a certificate of approval of availability shall have been issued 46 by the director of the budget and filed with the state comptroller and a 47 copy filed with the chair of the senate finance committee and the chair 48 of the assembly ways and means committee. Such certificate may be 49 amended from time to time by the director of the budget and a copy of 50 each such amendment shall be filed with the state comptroller, the chair 51 of the senate finance committee and the chair of the assembly ways and 52 means committee. 53 § 10. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that sections 54 one through seven of this act shall remain in effect until January 1, 55 2019, when upon such date such sections shall expire and shall be deemed 56 repealed.
