S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2237
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 25, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, EPSTEIN, ZINERMAN, BUTTENSCHON, JACKSON --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law and the administrative code of the city
   of New York, in relation to allowing certain campaign funds to be used
   for  disability access services and language interpretation and trans-
   lation services
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 14-130 of the election law is amended by adding two
 new subdivisions 4-a and 4-b to read as follows:
   4-A.  NOTHING  IN  THIS  SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT A CANDIDATE FROM USING
 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO PAY FOR DISABILITY ACCESS SERVICES,  INCLUDING
 BUT  NOT  LIMITED TO CAPTIONING, SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION, ASSISTIVE
 LISTENING DEVICE, BRAILLE, LARGE PRINT, COMMUNICATION  ACCESS  REAL-TIME
 TRANSLATION (CART) AND ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
   4-B.  NOTHING  IN  THIS  SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT A CANDIDATE FROM USING
 CAMPAIGN  CONTRIBUTIONS TO PAY FOR  LANGUAGE  INTERPRETATION  OR  TRANS-
 LATION SERVICES.
   §  2. Subdivision 1 of section 14-206 of the election law, as added by
 section 4 of part ZZZ of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is  amended  to
 read as follows:
   1.  Public  matching funds provided pursuant to this title may be used
 only by an authorized committee for expenditures to further the  partic-
 ipating  candidate's  nomination  for election or election[, including].
 SUCH EXPENDITURES MAY INCLUDE paying for debts incurred within one  year
 prior to an election to further the participating candidate's nomination
 for  election  or  election AND PAYING FOR DISABILITY ACCESS SERVICES OR
 LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION OR TRANSLATION SERVICES.
   § 3. Section 14-204 of the election law is amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 6 to read as follows:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03026-01-3
 A. 2237                             2
              

 
   6.  NOTHING  IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF
 PUBLIC FUNDS THAT MAY BE PROVIDED TO A  CANDIDATE  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF
 PAYING  FOR  DISABILITY  ACCESS  SERVICES  OR LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION OR
 TRANSLATION SERVICES.
   §  4.  Subparagraphs  12  and  13  of paragraph a of subdivision 21 of
 section 3-702 of the administrative  code  of  the  city  of  New  York,
 subparagraph  12  as  amended  and subparagraph 13 as added by local law
 number 196 of the city of New York for the year 2018,  are  amended  and
 two new subparagraphs 14 and 15 are added to read as follows:
   12.  Expenditures  to  facilitate, support, or otherwise assist in the
 execution or performance of the duties of public office; [and]
   13. Childcare services, provided that: (i) the candidate has  received
 an  approved  statement  of  campaign childcare eligibility, pursuant to
 subdivision 23 of this section, demonstrating that such services are for
 a child or children under thirteen years of age for whom  the  candidate
 is  a primary caregiver and that either the need for such services would
 not exist but for the  campaign  or  the  candidate  has  experienced  a
 significant loss of salary or wage earnings that would not have occurred
 but  for  the campaign; and (ii) that expenditures for such services may
 only be incurred during the calendar year of the election, and the  year
 immediately  preceding the calendar year of the election, and may not be
 incurred after such election is held[.];
   14. DISABILITY ACCESS SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO  CAPTION-
 ING,  SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION, ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICE, BRAILLE,
 LARGE PRINT,  COMMUNICATION  ACCESS  REAL-TIME  TRANSLATION  (CART)  AND
 ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES; AND
   15. LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION SERVICES.
   §  5. Section 3-706 of the administrative code of the city of New York
 is amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. EXPENDITURES MADE FOR THE PURPOSE  OF  DISABILITY  ACCESS  SERVICES
 PURSUANT  TO  SUBPARAGRAPH 14 OR LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION
 SERVICES PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH 15 OF PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION 21 OF
 SECTION 3-702 OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL NOT BE LIMITED  BY  THE  EXPENDITURE
 LIMITATIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   § 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.