STATE OF NEW YORK
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10639
IN SENATE
June 1, 2026
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Introduced by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the form of submission
and abstract for proposed amendments to the constitution
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 4-108 of the election law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
3 8. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or other law to
4 the contrary, the form in which a proposed amendment to the constitution
5 shall be submitted, and the abstract thereof, may be determined as part
6 of the concurrent resolution for the submission of such amendment, and
7 abstract thereof, to the people, or the form of submission and abstract
8 thereof may be determined in a separate concurrent resolution adopted by
9 both houses of the legislature at least one hundred twenty days prior to
10 the general election at which such amendment shall be submitted. The
11 legislature, in determining the form of submission and abstract under
12 this subdivision, shall use best efforts to comply with the plain
13 language requirements of subdivisions two and five, and shall further
14 use best efforts for such submission and abstract to score at an eighth
15 grade reading level or below as determined by the Automated Readability
16 Index score as calculated under subdivision six of this section, or
17 other comparable tool to evaluate reading levels. Provided, however, no
18 specific Automated Readability Index score shall be required. Such form
19 of submission and abstract determined in the manner provided for by this
20 subdivision shall be transmitted by the state board of elections as
21 otherwise provided in this chapter without amendment or alteration,
22 except that the state board of elections may assign to such proposed
23 amendment the ballot order number applicable thereto.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
25 concurrent resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution that
26 achieve first passage by both houses of the legislature during the
27 2025-2026 legislative session and any concurrent resolutions proposing
28 amendments to the constitution agreed to by the legislature thereafter;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15990-04-6
S. 10639 2
1 provided, however, that this act shall not apply to any concurrent
2 resolution proposing amendments to the constitution that achieved first
3 passage by both houses of the legislature during the 2023-2024 legisla-
4 tive session.
