S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2599--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             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 -- committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee

 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:
 
   Section 1. The opening paragraph of section 5-211 of the election law,
 as amended by section 1 of part AA of chapter 56 of the laws of 2019, is
 amended to read as follows:
   Each  agency designated as a participating agency under the provisions
 of this section shall implement and administer a program of distribution
 of voter registration forms pursuant to the provisions of this  section.
 The  following  offices  which  provide public assistance and/or provide
 state funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons
 with disabilities are hereby designated as voter registration  agencies:
 designated as the state agencies which provide public assistance are the
 office  of  children  and  family  services, the office of temporary and
 disability assistance and the department of health. Also  designated  as
 public  assistance  agencies  are  all agencies of local government that
 provide such assistance.  Designated  as  state  agencies  that  provide
 programs primarily engaged in providing services to people with disabil-
 ities  are  the  department  of labor, office for the aging, division of
 veterans' services, office of mental health, office  of  vocational  and
 educational  services  for  individuals with disabilities, commission on
 quality of care for the mentally disabled, office [of mental retardation
 and] FOR PEOPLE WITH  developmental  disabilities,  commission  for  the
 blind,  office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, the office of
 the advocate for the disabled and all offices which administer  programs
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01179-03-9

 A. 2599--A                          2
 
 established or funded by such agencies. Additional [state] PARTICIPATING
 agencies  designated as voter registration offices are the department of
 state and the [division] DISTRICT OFFICES of THE  workers'  compensation
 BOARD. Such agencies shall be required to offer voter registration forms
 to  persons  upon initial application for services, renewal or recertif-
 ication for services  and  UPON  change  of  address  relating  to  such
 services.  Such agencies shall also be responsible for providing assist-
 ance to applicants in completing voter registration forms, receiving and
 transmitting the completed application form from all applicants who wish
 to have such form transmitted to the appropriate board of elections. The
 state board of elections shall, together  with  representatives  of  the
 UNITED  STATES  department  of defense, develop and implement procedures
 for including recruitment offices of the  armed  forces  of  the  United
 States as voter registration offices when such offices are so designated
 by  federal law. The state board OF ELECTIONS shall also make request of
 the United States [Immigration and Naturalization  Service]  CITIZENSHIP
 AND  IMMIGRATION  SERVICES  to  include applications for registration by
 mail with any materials which are given to  new  citizens.  [All  insti-
 tutions  of  the state university of New York and the city university of
 New York, shall, at the beginning of the school year, and again in Janu-
 ary of a year in which the president of  the  United  States  is  to  be
 elected, provide an application for registration to each student in each
 such institution. The state board of elections may, by regulation, grant
 a  waiver  from  any  or  all of the requirements of this section to any
 office or program of an agency, if it determines that it is not feasible
 for such office or program to administer such requirement.]
   § 2. Section 5-211 of the election law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 18 to read as follows:
   18.  (A)  ON  OR BEFORE JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY, ALL INSTI-
 TUTIONS OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE CITY  UNIVERSITY  OF
 NEW  YORK  SHALL CREATE AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS A WEBPAGE FOR
 VOTER EDUCATION ON EACH SUCH INSTITUTION'S WEBSITE, CONTAINING A LINK TO
 AN APPLICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, A LINK TO AN APPLICATION  FOR  AN
 ABSENTEE  BALLOT, CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS,
 AND THE NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE  ADMINISTRATOR  RESPONSIBLE
 FOR  VOTER REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE ON EACH CAMPUS. EACH SUCH INSTITUTION
 SHALL, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND AGAIN IN  JANUARY  OF  A
 YEAR  IN  WHICH  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE UNITED STATES IS TO BE ELECTED,
 PROVIDE AN APPLICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION TO EACH  STUDENT  IN  EACH
 SUCH  INSTITUTION.  SUCH  INSTITUTIONS  SHALL ALSO OFFER EACH STUDENT AN
 APPLICATION FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT. SUCH INSTITUTIONS SHALL PROVIDE  THE
 SAME  DEGREE  OF  ASSISTANCE AS REQUIRED OF PARTICIPATING AGENCIES. EACH
 INSTITUTION SHALL BE CONSIDERED IN COMPLIANCE  WITH  THESE  REQUIREMENTS
 FOR  EACH  STUDENT  TO  WHOM  THE INSTITUTION ELECTRONICALLY TRANSMITS A
 MESSAGE CONTAINING THE LINK TO THE WEBPAGE FOR VOTER EDUCATION  AND  THE
 LINK TO AN APPLICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, IF SUCH INFORMATION IS IN
 AN ELECTRONIC MESSAGE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO VOTER REGISTRATION.
   (B)  EACH  INSTITUTION  SHALL ON OR BEFORE JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY, AND EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR, SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE STATE BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS THAT INCLUDES:
   (I) THE EFFORTS OF THE INSTITUTION TO REGISTER VOTERS IN THE PRECEDING
 CALENDAR YEAR;
   (II)  A  DATE-STAMPED  SCREEN  SHOT OF THE WEBPAGE FOR VOTER EDUCATION
 THAT CONTAINS THE REQUIRED  INFORMATION  UNDER  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF  THIS
 SUBDIVISION;

 A. 2599--A                          3
 
   (III)  THE  NUMBER  OF STUDENTS WHO WERE REGISTERED FOR COURSE WORK IN
 THE PRECEDING TWELVE MONTHS  AT  SUCH  INSTITUTION  AND  THE  NUMBER  OF
 STUDENTS  WHO  CLICKED  ON  THE  LINKS  TO ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION AND
 ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS; AND
   (IV)  ANY  OTHER  EFFORTS  OR RECOMMENDATIONS THE INSTITUTION PLANS TO
 IMPLEMENT TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO VOTER REGISTRATION  AND  ABSENTEE  BALLOT
 VOTING FOR STUDENTS AT THE INSTITUTION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.