S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
11557
I N A S S E M B L Y
June 1, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Walker) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the form of submission
and abstract for proposed amendments to the constitution
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 4-108 of the election law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS CHAPTER OR OTHER LAW TO
THE CONTRARY, THE FORM IN WHICH A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
SHALL BE SUBMITTED, AND THE ABSTRACT THEREOF, MAY BE DETERMINED AS PART
OF THE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SUCH AMENDMENT, AND
ABSTRACT THEREOF, TO THE PEOPLE, OR THE FORM OF SUBMISSION AND ABSTRACT
THEREOF MAY BE DETERMINED IN A SEPARATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY
BOTH HOUSES OF THE LEGISLATURE AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED TWENTY DAYS PRIOR TO
THE GENERAL ELECTION AT WHICH SUCH AMENDMENT SHALL BE SUBMITTED. THE
LEGISLATURE, IN DETERMINING THE FORM OF SUBMISSION AND ABSTRACT UNDER
THIS SUBDIVISION, SHALL USE BEST EFFORTS TO COMPLY WITH THE PLAIN
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBDIVISIONS TWO AND FIVE, AND SHALL FURTHER
USE BEST EFFORTS FOR SUCH SUBMISSION AND ABSTRACT TO SCORE AT AN EIGHTH
GRADE READING LEVEL OR BELOW AS DETERMINED BY THE AUTOMATED READABILITY
INDEX SCORE AS CALCULATED UNDER SUBDIVISION SIX OF THIS SECTION, OR
OTHER COMPARABLE TOOL TO EVALUATE READING LEVELS. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, NO
SPECIFIC AUTOMATED READABILITY INDEX SCORE SHALL BE REQUIRED. SUCH FORM
OF SUBMISSION AND ABSTRACT DETERMINED IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR BY THIS
SUBDIVISION SHALL BE TRANSMITTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AS
OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THIS CHAPTER WITHOUT AMENDMENT OR ALTERATION,
EXCEPT THAT THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS MAY ASSIGN TO SUCH PROPOSED
AMENDMENT THE BALLOT ORDER NUMBER APPLICABLE THERETO.
ยง 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
concurrent resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution that
achieve first passage by both houses of the legislature during the
2025-2026 legislative session and any concurrent resolutions proposing
amendments to the constitution agreed to by the legislature thereafter;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
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