NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A642
SPONSOR: Weprin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the election law, in relation to directing the Queens
county board of elections to provide language assistance in Bengali,
Punjabi and Hindi
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill directs the Queens county board of elections to provide writ-
ten language assistance' in Bengali, Punjabi, and Hindi in order to
comply with the Language Assistance Provisions of Section 203 of the
federal voting rights act of 1965 (42(U.S.0 1973aa-la).
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-508 which directs
the Queens county board of elections to provide written language assist-
ance in Bengali, Punjabi, and Hindi. Since Asian-Indians in Queens Coun-
ty are newly covered under the Language Assistance Provisions of See.
203 of the Federal Voting Rights Act and the three most spoken languages
among individuals of Asian-Indian origin are Segall, Hindi; and Punjabi,
the Board of Elections should provide written material in those
languages. This shall include but not be limited to ballots, signs,
voter mailings, employee and volunteer training materiel and information
on such board's website.
The board is also require to produce and distribute throughout the
district a booklet which includes a voter registration form in English
along with, in Bengali, Punjabi, and Hindi, instructions for registering
to vote, instructions for obtaining an absentee ballot, and a section
with general voter information including frequently asked questions. The
board may include other languages in the booklet and website as well..
This act shall take effect on the 1201b day.
Effective immediately, the addition amendment or repeal of any rules or
regulations for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made on or before such date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Since Asian-Indians in Queens County are newly covered under the
Language Assistance Provisions of Sec. 203 of the federal Voting Rights
'Act, this act will add the three most spoken Asian- Indian languages to
the Queens County ballot.
The data for Queens County indicates Bengali (also known as Bangle),
Punjabi and Hindi speakers, in that order, as the prevalence of those
with limited English proficiency (LEP) in Queens County(1).
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
02/09/17 referred to election law
01/03/18 referred to election law
06/06/18 held for consideration in election law
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal to state
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 120th day. Effective immediately, the
addition amendment or repeal of any rules or regulations for the imple-
mentation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on
or before such date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
642
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 11, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, KIM, ROZIC, COLTON, MILLER, RIVERA --
Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BRAUNSTEIN -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to directing the Queens
county board of elections to provide language assistance in Bengali,
Punjabi and Hindi
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-507
2 to read as follows:
3 § 3-507. Queens county board of elections; voting materials in Benga-
4 li, Punjabi and Hindi. The Queens county board of elections shall
5 provide written language assistance in the Bengali, Punjabi and Hindi
6 languages pursuant to section two hundred three of the voting rights act
7 of nineteen hundred sixty-five (42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a). Such language
8 assistance shall include, but not be limited to, ballots, signs, voter
9 mailings, employee and volunteer training materials and information on
10 such board's website. It shall also produce and disseminate countywide a
11 booklet that includes: (a) a voter registration form in English with
12 instructions in Bengali, Punjabi and Hindi; (b) instructions in Bengali,
13 Punjabi and Hindi regarding the criteria and application process for
14 obtaining an absentee ballot; and (c) a section with general voter
15 information in Bengali, Punjabi and Hindi including frequently asked
16 questions. Such board may include other languages on its website and in
17 such booklet.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
19 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
20 ment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the imple-
21 mentation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on
22 or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01596-01-3
