Senate Bill S1226

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1226
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 8, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to  establishing  the
   New York voter integrity fund; and to repeal section 92-t of the state
   finance law relating to the New York state campaign finance fund

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 92-t of the state finance law is REPEALED and a new
 section 92-t is added to read as follows:
   § 92-T. NEW YORK VOTER INTEGRITY FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY  ESTABLISHED
 IN  THE  JOINT  CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF
 TAXATION AND FINANCE A FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE NEW YORK VOTER  INTEGRITY
 FUND.
   2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL REVENUES FROM THE ABANDONED PROPERTY
 FUND  PURSUANT  TO SECTION NINETY-FIVE OF THIS ARTICLE, FROM THE GENERAL
 FUND, AND FROM ALL OTHER MONEYS CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY
 OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW.   SUCH  FUND  SHALL  ALSO  RECEIVE
 CONTRIBUTIONS  FROM PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, OR OTHER PERSONS
 TO FULFILL THE PURPOSES OF THE VOTER INTEGRITY FUND.
   3. MONEYS OF THE FUND, FOLLOWING APPROPRIATION BY THE LEGISLATURE, MAY
 BE EXPENDED FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  MAKING  PAYMENTS  TO  THE  BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS  FOR  EXPENSES RELATED TO CONDUCTING ELECTIONS, INCLUDING, BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO, EXPENSES RELATED TO PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT,  POLL
 WORKER  WAGES,  PRE-PAID  POSTAGE  FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS, ABSENTEE BALLOT
 ENVELOPES, MAIL NOTIFICATION CARDS,  ABSENTEE  BALLOT  APPLICATIONS  AND
 ABSENTEE BALLOTS.
   4.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, IF, IN ANY
 STATE FISCAL YEAR, THE NEW YORK VOTER INTEGRITY FUND LACKS THE AMOUNT OF
 MONEY TO PAY ALL CLAIMS VOUCHERED BY THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS  AND  CERTI-
 FIED  OR  APPROVED  BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, ANY SUCH DEFICIENCY
 SHALL BE PAID BY THE STATE COMPTROLLER,  FROM  FUNDS  DEPOSITED  IN  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD05039-01-1

 S. 1226                             2
 
 GENERAL  FUND  OF  THE  STATE NOT MORE THAN FOUR WORKING DAYS AFTER SUCH
 VOUCHER IS RECEIVED BY THE STATE COMPTROLLER.
   § 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 5 of section 95 of the state finance
 law,  as  added  by  section  6 of part ZZZ of chapter 58 of the laws of
 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   (b) Notwithstanding any provision  of  this  section  authorizing  the
 transfer  of  any  moneys  in the abandoned property fund to the general
 fund, the comptroller, after receiving amounts sufficient to pay  claims
 against  the  abandoned property fund, shall, based upon a certification
 of the state board of elections pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdi-
 vision, and at the direction of the director of the budget, transfer the
 requested amount from remaining available monies in the abandoned  prop-
 erty fund to the [campaign finance] NEW YORK VOTER INTEGRITY fund estab-
 lished by section ninety-two-t of this article.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.