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.
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.
