Bill Text: NY S08060 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Establishes the New York state democracy commission to report on certain democracy issues and how to prevent attempts to illegitimately overturn a lawful election on a local, state and federal level.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-24 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S08060 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S08060-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8060

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 24, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sens. SANDERS, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

        AN ACT to establish the New York state democracy commission; and provid-
          ing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof

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

     1    Section  1.  Legislative  findings. The legislature finds and declares
     2  that the American democracy was under attack on January 6, 2021  in  the
     3  United  States  Capitol  by  insurrectionists attempting to overturn the
     4  legal election of Joseph Biden for the United States presidency  through
     5  violence,  intimidation  and by other means. There is legitimate concern
     6  that this attempt to overthrow our democracy will  occur  again  at  the
     7  federal, state and local levels.
     8    §  2.  1.  A  temporary  state commission, to be known as the New York
     9  state democracy commission, hereinafter referred to as  the  commission,
    10  is  hereby  created  to  make recommendations and create a report of its
    11  findings relating to issues involving:
    12    a. the state of democracy in New York state;
    13    b. how to protect, strengthen and expand democracy in New  York  state
    14  on the state and local levels;
    15    c. how to expand voter registration and voter turnout;
    16    d. how to strengthen the integrity of the voting process;
    17    e. ways to improve civics education in schools; and
    18    f.  how  to  prevent  attempts  to  illegitimately  overturn  a lawful
    19  election on a local, state and federal level  taking  into  account  the
    20  events  that  led  up  to the January 6, 2021 insurrection in the United
    21  States Capitol and events thereafter to undermine American democracy.
    22    2. a.  The  commission  shall  consist  of  thirteen  members,  to  be
    23  appointed  as  follows:  six members shall be appointed by the governor;
    24  two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
    25  two members shall be appointed by  the  speaker  of  the  assembly;  one
    26  member  shall  be  appointed  by  the minority leader of the senate; one
    27  member shall be appointed by the minority leader of  the  assembly;  and

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14229-01-2

        S. 8060                             2

     1  one  member shall be the attorney general of New York state. The commis-
     2  sion shall be chaired by a member appointed by the governor.
     3    b.  The  members  of  the commission shall receive no compensation for
     4  their services but shall be allowed their actual and necessary  expenses
     5  incurred  in the performance of their duties under this act. The commis-
     6  sion may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel  as  it  may  deem
     7  necessary  for  the  performance  of its functions and fix their compen-
     8  sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor.
     9    3. The commission may request and shall receive from any agency in the
    10  state and from any subdivision, department, board,  bureau,  commission,
    11  office, agency or other instrumentality of the state or of any political
    12  subdivision  thereof  such  facilities,  assistance and data as it deems
    13  necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its powers and duties
    14  and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act.
    15    4. The report shall include any recommendations for legislative action
    16  as it may deem necessary and appropriate and shall be delivered  to  the
    17  governor,  the  temporary  president  of  the senate, the speaker of the
    18  assembly, and posted on the website of the Secretary of State  no  later
    19  than  one  year  after  the effective date of this act. The report shall
    20  also be posted on the website of the governor.
    21    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    22  deemed repealed 2 years after such date.
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