STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2599
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 24, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, JAFFEE, BUCHWALD, OTIS -- Multi-Spon-
sored by -- M. of A. COLTON, GLICK, GOTTFRIED, GUNTHER, PERRY -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to voter registration form
distribution and assistance
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 chapter 265 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as
3 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, division of
17 veterans' affairs, 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 [of mental retardation
20 and] for people with developmental disabilities, commission for the
21 blind, office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, the office of
22 the advocate for the disabled and all offices which administer programs
23 established or funded by such agencies. Additional [state] participating
24 agencies designated as voter registration offices are the department of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01179-01-9
A. 2599 2
1 state and the [division] district offices of the workers' compensation
2 board. Such agencies shall be required to offer voter registration
3 forms to persons upon initial application for services, renewal or
4 recertification for services and upon change of address relating to such
5 services. Such agencies shall also be responsible for providing assist-
6 ance to applicants in completing voter registration forms, receiving and
7 transmitting the completed application form from all applicants who wish
8 to have such form transmitted to the appropriate board of elections. The
9 state board of elections shall, together with representatives of the
10 United States department of defense, develop and implement procedures
11 for including recruitment offices of the armed forces of the United
12 States as voter registration offices when such offices are so designated
13 by federal law. The state board of elections shall also make request of
14 the United States [Immigration and Naturalization Service] Citizenship
15 and Immigration Services to include applications for registration by
16 mail with any materials which are given to new citizens. [All insti-
17 tutions of the state university of New York and the city university of
18 New York, shall, at the beginning of the school year, and again in Janu-
19 ary of a year in which the president of the United States is to be
20 elected, provide an application for registration to each student in each
21 such institution.] The state board of elections may, by regulation,
22 grant a waiver from any or all of the requirements of this section to
23 any office or program of an agency, if it determines that it is not
24 feasible for such office or program to administer such requirement.
25 § 2. Section 5-211 of the election law is amended by adding a new
26 subdivision 18 to read as follows:
27 18. All institutions of the state university of New York and the city
28 university of New York shall, at the beginning of the school year, and
29 again in January of a year in which the president of the United States
30 is to be elected, provide an application for voter registration to each
31 student in each such institution. Such institutions shall also offer
32 each student an application for an absentee ballot. Such institutions
33 shall provide the same degree of assistance as required of participating
34 agencies.
35 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
36 it shall have become a law, provided however, that effective immediate-
37 ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations
38 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
39 authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such
40 effective date.