S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10309
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 17, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Burgos) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to requiring  any  student
   graduating  from  a  high  school in New York state be provided with a
   voter registration form
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-232
 to read as follows:
   § 5-232. GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. 1. IN ADDITION TO ANY  OTHER
 METHOD  OF VOTER REGISTRATION PROVIDED FOR IN THIS ARTICLE, EVERY QUALI-
 FIED PERSON SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH AN APPLICATION FOR  REGISTRATION  AND
 ENROLLMENT UPON GRADUATION FROM ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN
 THE  STATE.  SUCH APPLICATION SHALL BE IN THE SAME FORM AS PRESCRIBED BY
 SECTION 5-210 OF THIS TITLE.
   2. A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH QUALIFIED PERSONS ARE  GRADUATING  SHALL
 TRANSMIT  ANY  COMPLETED APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION FORM TO THE APPRO-
 PRIATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS NOT LATER THAN TEN DAYS AFTER  RECEIPT  EXCEPT
 THAT  ALL  SUCH  COMPLETED APPLICATIONS AND FORMS RECEIVED BY THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS OR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AFTER THE TWENTIETH DAY PRIOR TO AN
 ELECTION AND BY THE TWELFTH DAY BEFORE SUCH ELECTION SHALL BE  TRANSMIT-
 TED  IN  SUCH MANNER AND AT SUCH TIME AS TO ASSURE THEIR RECEIPT BY SUCH
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AND NOT LATER THAN  THE  TENTH
 DAY BEFORE SUCH ELECTION. ALL TRANSMITTALS SHALL INCLUDE ORIGINAL SIGNA-
 TURES.
   3. COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS RECEIVED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT NOT LATER
 THAN THE TWELFTH DAY BEFORE THE NEXT ENSUING PRIMARY, GENERAL OR SPECIAL
 ELECTION  AND  TRANSMITTED  BY  SUCH  SCHOOL DISTRICT TO THE APPROPRIATE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS SO THAT THEY ARE RECEIVED NOT LATER  THAN  THE  TENTH
 DAY  BEFORE  SUCH  ELECTION  SHALL ENTITLE THE APPLICANT TO VOTE IN SUCH
 ELECTION PROVIDED THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT THE APPLICANT  IS  OTHERWISE
 QUALIFIED.
   4.  DISCLOSURE OF VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION, INCLUDING A DECLINA-
 TION TO REGISTER, BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT, ITS  AGENTS  OR  EMPLOYEES,  FOR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14546-03-4
 A. 10309                            2
 
 PURPOSES  OTHER  THAN  VOTER REGISTRATION SHALL BE DEEMED AN UNWARRANTED
 INVASION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS  OF  SUBDIVISION
 TWO  OF SECTION EIGHTY-NINE OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW AND SHALL CONSTI-
 TUTE A VIOLATION OF THIS CHAPTER.
   5.  APPLICATION  FORMS SHALL BE PROCESSED BY THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN
 THE MANNER PRESCRIBED BY SECTION 5-210 OF THIS TITLE.  THE  BOARD  SHALL
 SEND  THE  APPROPRIATE  NOTICE  OF  APPROVAL OR REJECTION AS REQUIRED BY
 SUBDIVISION NINE OF SUCH SECTION 5-210.
   6. STRICT NEUTRALITY WITH RESPECT TO A PERSON'S PARTY ENROLLMENT SHALL
 BE MAINTAINED AND ALL  PERSONS  SEEKING  VOTER  REGISTRATION  FORMS  AND
 INFORMATION  SHALL  BE  ADVISED  THAT GOVERNMENT SERVICES ARE NOT CONDI-
 TIONED ON BEING REGISTERED TO VOTE.
   7. NO STATEMENT SHALL BE MADE NOR ANY ACTION TAKEN TO  DISCOURAGE  THE
 APPLICANT FROM REGISTERING TO VOTE.
   8. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL ADOPT SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS
 AS  MAY  BE NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. THE
 BOARD SHALL ALSO ADOPT SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO
 REQUIRE COUNTY BOARDS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF  EDUCATION  TO  PROVIDE  THE
 STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  WITH SUCH INFORMATION AND DATA AS THE BOARD
 DEEMS NECESSARY TO ASSESS COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION  AND  TO  COMPILE
 SUCH STATISTICS AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
   9.  THE  STATE  BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE PUBLIC
 INFORMATION AND PROMOTIONAL  MATERIALS  RELATING  TO  THE  PURPOSES  AND
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM.
   10.  THE  STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PREPARE AND DISTRIBUTE TO THE
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS AS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
 THE PROGRAM AND SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING TRAINING  PROGRAMS
 FOR  EMPLOYEES  OF  THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT
 INVOLVED IN SUCH PROGRAM.
   11. THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL TAKE  ALL  ACTIONS  WHICH  ARE
 NECESSARY AND PROPER FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION. THE COMMIS-
 SIONER  OF EDUCATION SHALL DESIGNATE ONE PERSON WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AS
 THE DEPARTMENT VOTER REGISTRATION COORDINATOR WHO WILL, UNDER THE DIREC-
 TION OF THE STATE BOARD OF  ELECTIONS,  BE  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  THE  VOTER
 REGISTRATION PROGRAM IN SUCH DEPARTMENT.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
 for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.