S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
694
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
(PREFILED)
January 6, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROZIC, COLTON, GALEF, GOTTFRIED -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to designating additional
participating agencies for purposes of agency assisted voter registra-
tion
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 separately amended by chapters 587 and 672 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 for people with devel-
opmental disabilities, commission for the blind, office of alcoholism
and substance abuse services, the office of the advocate for the disa-
bled and all offices which administer programs established or funded by
such agencies. Additional participating agencies designated as voter
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03338-01-1
A. 694 2
registration offices are the department of state and the 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 recertification for services and
upon change of address relating to such services. Such agencies shall
also be responsible for providing assistance to applicants in completing
voter registration forms, receiving and transmitting the completed
application form from all applicants who wish to have such form trans-
mitted 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 Citizenship and Immigration Services to include applications for
registration by mail with any materials which are given to new citizens.
ALSO DESIGNATED AS PARTICIPATING AGENCIES ARE ALL PUBLIC LIBRARIES,
WHICH SHALL BE REQUIRED TO OFFER VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS TO PERSONS
EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER UPON INITIAL APPLICATION FOR A LIBRARY
CARD. ALSO DESIGNATED AS PARTICIPATING AGENCIES ARE ALL LOCAL HOUSING
AUTHORITIES, WHICH SHALL BE REQUIRED TO OFFER VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS
TO PERSONS UPON INITIAL APPLICATION FOR SERVICES OR RECERTIFICATION FOR
SERVICES. ALSO DESIGNATED AS PARTICIPATING AGENCIES ARE ALL PUBLIC HIGH
SCHOOLS, WHICH SHALL BE REQUIRED TO OFFER VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS TO
ALL SENIORS UPON THEIR GRADUATION.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth 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.