Bill Text: NY S01499 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Makes the following participating agencies for purposes of agency assisted voter registration: public libraries, local housing authorities, and public high schools; directs the state board of elections to promulgate rules and regulations for implementation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO ELECTIONS [S01499 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S01499-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1499

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 12, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sens. GIANARIS, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, KRUEGER, SERRANO, STAVISKY
          -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
          the Committee on Elections

        AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to designating  additional
          participating agencies for purposes of agency assisted voter registra-
          tion

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The opening paragraph of section 5-211 of the election law,
     2  as amended by section 7 of part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    Each agency designated as a participating agency under the  provisions
     5  of this section shall implement and administer a program of distribution
     6  of  voter registration forms pursuant to the provisions of this section.
     7  The following offices which provide  public  assistance  and/or  provide
     8  state funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons
     9  with  disabilities are hereby designated as voter registration agencies:
    10  designated as the state agencies which provide public assistance are the
    11  office of children and family services,  the  office  of  temporary  and
    12  disability  assistance  and the department of health. Also designated as
    13  public assistance agencies are all agencies  of  local  government  that
    14  provide  such  assistance.  Designated  as  state  agencies that provide
    15  programs primarily engaged in providing services to people with disabil-
    16  ities are the department of labor, office for the aging,  department  of
    17  veterans'  services,  office  of mental health, office of vocational and
    18  educational services for individuals with  disabilities,  commission  on
    19  quality of care for the mentally disabled, office for people with devel-
    20  opmental  disabilities,  commission  for  the blind, office of addiction
    21  services and supports, the office of the advocate for the  disabled  and
    22  all  offices  which  administer  programs  established or funded by such
    23  agencies. Additional participating agencies designated as  voter  regis-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05171-01-3
        S. 1499                             2

     1  tration  offices are the department of state and the district offices of
     2  the workers' compensation board. Such  agencies  shall  be  required  to
     3  offer  voter  registration forms to persons upon initial application for
     4  services,  renewal  or  recertification  for services and upon change of
     5  address relating to such services. Such agencies shall also be responsi-
     6  ble for providing assistance to applicants in completing voter registra-
     7  tion forms, receiving and transmitting the  completed  application  form
     8  from all applicants who wish to have such form transmitted to the appro-
     9  priate  board of elections. The state board of elections shall, together
    10  with representatives of the United States department of defense, develop
    11  and implement procedures for including recruitment offices of the  armed
    12  forces  of  the  United  States  as voter registration offices when such
    13  offices are so designated by federal law.  The state board of  elections
    14  shall also make request of the United States Citizenship and Immigration
    15  Services to include applications for registration by mail with any mate-
    16  rials which are given to new citizens.  Also designated as participating
    17  agencies  are  all  public  libraries,  which shall be required to offer
    18  voter registration forms to persons eighteen years of age or older  upon
    19  initial application for a library card. Also designated as participating
    20  agencies  are  all local housing authorities, which shall be required to
    21  offer voter registration forms to persons upon initial  application  for
    22  services or recertification for services. Also designated as participat-
    23  ing  agencies  are  all  public high schools, which shall be required to
    24  offer voter registration forms to all seniors upon their graduation.
    25    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    26  it shall have become a law; provided, however, that if part PP of  chap-
    27  ter 56 of the laws of 2022 shall not have taken effect on or before such
    28  date then section one of this act shall take effect on the same date and
    29  in  the  same  manner  as such chapter of the laws of 2022 takes effect.
    30  Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
    31  or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
    32  tive date are authorized to be made and  completed  on  or  before  such
    33  effective date.