S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1054
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  GIANARIS,  HOYLMAN, KRUEGER, SERRANO, STAVISKY --
   read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to
   the Committee on Elections
 
 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
 S. 1054                             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.