Assembly Bill A2104A

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 2104--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 15, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  WEPRIN,  CUSICK, COLTON, ENGLEBRIGHT, ORTIZ,
  ZEBROWSKI, SCARBOROUGH,  MOYA,  ROBINSON,  CAHILL,  LAVINE,  CLARK  --
  Multi-Sponsored  by  -- M. of A. FARRELL, GLICK, HIKIND, PERRY -- read
  once and referred to  the  Committee  on  Election  Law  --  committee
  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
  to said committee

AN  ACT  to amend the election law and the education law, in relation to
  making absentee ballots available in Braille and large-print

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

  Section  1.  The election law is amended by adding a new section 7-107
to read as follows:
  S 7-107. ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT TO BE MADE AVAIL-
ABLE.  1. ABSENTEE BALLOTS PRINTED IN BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT  SHALL  BE
MADE  AVAILABLE UPON THE REQUEST OF ANY REGISTERED VOTER WHO IS BLIND OR
VISUALLY IMPAIRED.  PERSONS WISHING TO RECEIVE  BRAILLE  OR  LARGE-PRINT
ABSENTEE  BALLOTS  MUST GIVE NOTICE THEREOF TO THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS NO
LESS THAN THIRTY DAYS PRIOR TO EACH ELECTION DAY TO ENABLE THE BOARD  TO
PREPARE AND DISTRIBUTE SUCH BALLOTS.
  2.  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PROMULGATE RULES FOR THE PREPA-
RATION, DISTRIBUTION, CASTING, AND CANVASS OF  BRAILLE  AND  LARGE-PRINT
ABSENTEE  BALLOTS.    THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS SHALL DEVELOP THE
INITIAL FORMAT FOR BOTH BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT BALLOTS IN  CONSULTATION
WITH  AT  LEAST THREE NEW YORK STATE ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXPERTISE IN THE
FIELD OF ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SUCH OTHER  APPROPRI-
ATE  PERSONS,  GROUPS,  ENTITIES  OR ORGANIZATIONS AS THE STATE BOARD OF
ELECTIONS SHALL DETERMINE. FOR THE PURPOSE OF  THIS  SECTION,  "BRAILLE"
REFERS  TO GRADE TWO BRAILLE AND "LARGE-PRINT" REFERS TO A FONT OF EIGH-
TEEN POINT OR LARGER.  UPON THE PRINTING OF A BRAILLE BALLOT, THE  BOARD
OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  REQUIRE  SUCH  BRAILLE BALLOT TO BE PROOFREAD BY A
QUALIFIED BRAILLE READER.  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL  ESTABLISH

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01472-02-5
              

A. 2104--A                          2

THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR A BRAILLE BALLOT PROOFREADER IN CONSULTA-
TION  WITH AT LEAST THREE NEW YORK STATE ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXPERTISE IN
THE FIELD OF ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SUCH OTHER APPRO-
PRIATE  PERSONS,  GROUPS,  ENTITIES OR ORGANIZATIONS AS SUCH BOARD SHALL
DETERMINE.
  S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new  section  2022-a  to
read as follows:
  S  2022-A. BALLOTS IN BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT TO BE MADE AVAILABLE. 1.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS PRINTED IN BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT SHALL BE MADE AVAIL-
ABLE UPON THE REQUEST OF ANY REGISTERED VOTER WHO IS BLIND  OR  VISUALLY
IMPAIRED.  PERSONS  WISHING  TO RECEIVE BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT ABSENTEE
BALLOTS MUST GIVE NOTICE THEREOF NO LESS THAN THIRTY DAYS PRIOR TO  EACH
ELECTION DAY TO ENABLE PREPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH BALLOTS.
  2.   THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF
ELECTIONS, SHALL PROMULGATE RULES  FOR  THE  PREPARATION,  DISTRIBUTION,
CASTING,  AND  CANVASS  OF BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT ABSENTEE BALLOTS. THE
DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP THE INITIAL FORMAT FOR BOTH BRAILLE AND  LARGE-
PRINT  BALLOTS IN CONSULTATION WITH AT LEAST THREE NEW YORK STATE ORGAN-
IZATIONS WITH EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD OF ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE  WITH  DISA-
BILITIES  AND  SUCH  OTHER  APPROPRIATE  PERSONS,  GROUPS,  ENTITIES  OR
ORGANIZATIONS AS SUCH BOARD SHALL DETERMINE. FOR THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
SECTION,  "BRAILLE" REFERS TO GRADE TWO BRAILLE AND "LARGE-PRINT" REFERS
TO A FONT OF EIGHTEEN POINT OR LARGER. UPON THE PRINTING  OF  A  BRAILLE
BALLOT,  SUCH  BRAILLE  BALLOT SHALL BE PROOFREAD BY A QUALIFIED BRAILLE
READER. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR  A
BRAILLE  BALLOT  PROOFREADER  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE STATE BOARD OF
ELECTIONS AND AT LEAST THREE NEW YORK STATE ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXPERTISE
IN THE FIELD OF ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH  DISABILITIES  AND  SUCH  OTHER
APPROPRIATE  PERSONS,  GROUPS, ENTITIES OR ORGANIZATIONS AS SUCH DEPART-
MENT SHALL DETERMINE.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of December next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law; provided  that  effec-
tive  immediately,  the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or
regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective
date are authorized to be made on or before such effective date.