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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Text   -   S01633
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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________

                                         1633

                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                                   I N  S E N A T E

                                   February 3, 2009
                                      ___________

       Introduced  by Sens. SCHNEIDERMAN, BRESLIN, DIAZ, DILAN, DUANE, HASSELL-
         THOMPSON, KRUEGER, MONTGOMERY, ONORATO, OPPENHEIMER, PARKER,  SAMPSON,
         SAVINO, SERRANO, STAVISKY, THOMPSON -- 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 the residential classi-
         fication of certain incarcerated persons

         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    1    Section 1. The legislature notes that section 4 of article II  of  the
    2  constitution  provides  in  pertinent  part  as  follows:  "S 4. For the
    3  purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have gained  or  lost  a
    4  residence...while confined in any public prison."  Likewise, subdivision
    5  1  of  section  5-104  of the election law provides in pertinent part as
    6  follows: "For the purpose of registering and voting no person  shall  be
    7  deemed to have gained or lost a residence...while confined in any public
    8  prison."
    9    Despite  these provisions, investigation has shown that many incarcer-
   10  ated persons are being classified for purposes of residency as residents
   11  of their places of incarceration rather than as residents of their plac-
   12  es of residence prior to incarceration. The provisions of this  act  are
   13  necessary to provide procedures and duties to correct these errors.
   14    S 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-112 to read
   15  as follows:
   16    S 3-112. PRISONER CENSUS ADJUSTMENT. 1. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION
   17  SHALL  APPLY  ONLY  TO,  AND  THE  INFORMATION OBTAINED PURSUANT TO THIS
   18  SECTION SHALL BE USED  IN,  THE  CREATION  OF  CONGRESSIONAL,  ASSEMBLY,
   19  SENATE, AND COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BODY DISTRICTS.
   20    2.    NOT  LATER  THAN  THE NEXT SEPTEMBER FIRST FOLLOWING THE DATE ON
   21  WHICH THE TRACT-LEVEL POPULATION COUNTS FOR THIS STATE FROM THE  FEDERAL
   22  DECENNIAL  CENSUS  ARE  RELEASED  BY  THE  DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF THE
   23  CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, THE STATE  BOARD  OF

        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03619-01-9
       S. 1633                             2

    1  ELECTIONS  SHALL  PREPARE AND DISSEMINATE ADJUSTED POPULATION COUNTS FOR
    2  EACH GEOGRAPHIC UNIT INCLUDED IN THE CENSUS COUNTS AS PROVIDED  BY  THIS
    3  SECTION.
    4    3.  (A)  NOT  LATER  THAN  JUNE FIRST OF THE YEAR IN WHICH THE FEDERAL
    5  DECENNIAL CENSUS IS CONDUCTED, EACH STATE AGENCY AND LOCAL  GOVERNMENTAL
    6  ENTITY  IN  THIS STATE THAT OPERATES A FACILITY FOR THE INCARCERATION OF
    7  PERSONS CONVICTED OF A  CRIMINAL  OFFENSE,  INCLUDING  A  MENTAL  HEALTH
    8  INSTITUTION  FOR THOSE PERSONS, OR THAT PLACES ANY PERSON CONVICTED OF A
    9  CRIMINAL OFFENSE IN A PRIVATE FACILITY TO BE INCARCERATED ON  BEHALF  OF
   10  THE  STATE  AGENCY  OR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE
   11  STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
   12    (1) THE NAME OF EACH PERSON INCARCERATED IN A FACILITY OPERATED BY THE
   13  STATE AGENCY, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, OR IN A PRIVATE FACILITY ON BEHALF OF
   14  THE STATE AGENCY OR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY ON THE DATE FOR WHICH THE CENSUS
   15  REPORTS POPULATION WHO COMPLETED A CENSUS FORM, RESPONDED  TO  A  CENSUS
   16  INQUIRY,  OR WAS INCLUDED IN ANY REPORT PROVIDED TO CENSUS OFFICIALS, IF
   17  THE FORM, RESPONSE, OR REPORT INDICATED THAT THE PERSON RESIDED  AT  THE
   18  FACILITY ON THAT DATE.
   19    (2) THE AGE, SEX, AND RACE OF EACH PERSON INCLUDED IN THE REPORT.
   20    (3)  THE  LAST ADDRESS AT WHICH THE PERSON RESIDED BEFORE THE PERSON'S
   21  CURRENT INCARCERATION.
   22    (B) EACH GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY REQUIRED TO MAKE A REPORT UNDER PARAGRAPH
   23  (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL ENSURE THAT IT COLLECTS AND MAINTAINS  THE
   24  INFORMATION REQUIRED TO MAKE THE REPORT.
   25    4.  THE  STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL REQUEST EACH AGENCY THAT OPER-
   26  ATES  A  FEDERAL  FACILITY  IN  THIS  STATE  THAT  INCARCERATES  PERSONS
   27  CONVICTED  OF A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO PROVIDE THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS
   28  WITH A REPORT INCLUDING THE  INFORMATION  LISTED  IN  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF
   29  SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION FOR PERSONS CONVICTED OF AN OFFENSE IN
   30  THIS STATE.
   31    5.  FOR  EACH  PERSON INCLUDED IN A REPORT RECEIVED UNDER SUBDIVISIONS
   32  THREE AND FOUR OF THIS SECTION,  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL
   33  DETERMINE  THE GEOGRAPHIC UNITS FOR WHICH POPULATION COUNTS ARE REPORTED
   34  IN THE FEDERAL DECENNIAL CENSUS THAT CONTAIN THE LAST ADDRESS  AT  WHICH
   35  THE  PERSON  RESIDED  BEFORE THE PERSON'S INCARCERATION ACCORDING TO THE
   36  REPORT AND, IF THAT ADDRESS IS IN THIS STATE:
   37    (A) ADJUST ALL RELEVANT POPULATION  COUNTS  REPORTED  IN  THE  CENSUS,
   38  INCLUDING POPULATIONS BY AGE, SEX, AND RACE, AS IF THE PERSON RESIDED AT
   39  THAT ADDRESS ON THE DAY FOR WHICH THE CENSUS REPORTS POPULATION.
   40    (B)  ELIMINATE  THE  PERSON  FROM  ALL  APPLICABLE  POPULATION  COUNTS
   41  REPORTED IN THE FEDERAL DECENNIAL CENSUS FOR THE GEOGRAPHIC  UNITS  THAT
   42  INCLUDE THE FACILITY AT WHICH THE PERSON WAS INCARCERATED ON THE DAY FOR
   43  WHICH THE CENSUS REPORTS POPULATION.
   44    6.  UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE COMPILATION OF THE INFORMATION REQUIRED
   45  PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, THE STATE BOARD OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  PROMPTLY
   46  MAKE  A  REPORT THEREOF AVAILABLE TO THE LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON DEMO-
   47  GRAPHIC RESEARCH AND REAPPORTIONMENT, ALL LOCAL BOARDS OF ELECTION,  ALL
   48  COUNTY  LEGISLATIVE  BODIES, AND THE PUBLIC.  THE LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE
   49  ON DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AND REAPPORTIONMENT SHALL UTILIZE SUCH  INFORMA-
   50  TION  IN  THE CREATION OF CONGRESSIONAL, ASSEMBLY, AND SENATE DISTRICTS.
   51  ALL COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BODIES SHALL  UTILIZE  SUCH  INFORMATION  IN  THE
   52  CREATION OF COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BODY DISTRICTS.
   53    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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