S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3954--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. RAGA, SEAWRIGHT, SIMONE, KASSAY, McDONALD, REYES,
   SHRESTHA,  MITAYNES  --  read  once  and  referred to the Committee on
   Election Law -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered  reprinted
   as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the election law, in relation to enacting the "student
   voter empowerment act"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "student voter empowerment act".
   § 2. Subdivision 18 of section 5-211 of the election law,  as  amended
 by  chapter 481 of the laws of 2023, is amended and two new subdivisions
 19 and 20 are added to read as follows:
   18. (a) [(i)] On or before January first,  two  thousand  twenty,  all
 institutions of the state university of New York and the city university
 of  New  York  shall create and make available to all students a webpage
 for voter education on each such  institution's  website,  containing  a
 link  to an application for voter registration, a link to an application
 for an early mail ballot, UPDATED INFORMATION  ABOUT  THE  LOCATION  AND
 HOURS OF THE POLLING PLACE DESIGNATED FOR STUDENTS REGISTERED TO VOTE ON
 THE CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY OF THE INSTITUTION, IF SUCH POLLING PLACE EXISTS
 PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  FIVE-A OF SECTION 4-104 OF THIS CHAPTER OR AS
 DESIGNATED BY THE LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTION, KEY DATES FOR  VOTING  REGIS-
 TRATION,  VOTING  TIMES, AND ABSENTEE VOTING DETAILED IN THE STATE BOARD
 OF ELECTIONS POLITICAL CALENDAR, INFORMATION ABOUT THE VOTING RIGHTS  OF
 STUDENTS, contact information for the county board of elections, and the
 name  and  contact  information  for  the [administrator responsible for
 voter  registration  assistance]  STUDENT  VOTING  COORDINATOR  on  each
 campus.
   [(ii)] (B) Each such institution shall, at the beginning of the school
 year,  and  again  in  January  of  a year in which the president of the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03341-04-5
              

 A. 3954--A                          2
 
 United States is to be elected, provide an application for voter  regis-
 tration  and  an application for an early mail ballot to each student in
 each such institution. Each institution shall be considered  in  compli-
 ance  with  the  requirements  of this [subparagraph] PARAGRAPH for each
 student to whom  the  institution  electronically  transmits  a  message
 containing  the  link to the webpage for voter education, the link to an
 application for voter registration and the link to an application for an
 early mail ballot, if such  information  is  in  an  electronic  message
 devoted exclusively to voter registration.
   [(iii)]  (C)  Each  such  institution shall provide the same degree of
 assistance as required of participating agencies.
   [(b) The state university of New York and the city university  of  New
 York,  on  behalf  of  each  institution  within its system, shall on or
 before June first, two thousand twenty, and each subsequent year, submit
 a report disaggregated according to each institution to the state  board
 of elections that includes:
   (i) the efforts of the institution to register voters in the preceding
 calendar year;
   (ii)  a  date-stamped  screen  shot of the webpage for voter education
 that contains the required  information  under  paragraph  (a)  of  this
 subdivision;
   (iii)  the  number  of students who were registered for course work in
 the preceding twelve months at such institution and the number of clicks
 on the links to online voter registration and early mail ballot applica-
 tions; and
   (iv) any other efforts or recommendations  the  institution  plans  to
 implement  to improve access to voter registration and early mail ballot
 voting for students at the institution.
   (c) The state board of  elections  shall  make  the  reports  provided
 pursuant  to paragraph (b) of this subdivision publicly available on its
 website.]
   19. (A) ON OR BEFORE  JANUARY  FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SIX,  ALL
 PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  HIGHER  EDUCATION  INSTITUTIONS  IN NEW YORK SHALL
 CREATE AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS A WEBPAGE FOR VOTER  EDUCATION
 ON  EACH SUCH INSTITUTION'S WEBSITE, CONTAINING A LINK TO AN APPLICATION
 FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, A LINK TO  AN  APPLICATION  FOR  AN  EARLY  MAIL
 BALLOT,  UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOCATION AND HOURS OF THE POLLING
 PLACE DESIGNATED FOR STUDENTS REGISTERED TO VOTE ON THE CONTIGUOUS PROP-
 ERTY OF THE INSTITUTION, IF SUCH POLLING PLACE EXISTS PURSUANT TO SUBDI-
 VISION FIVE-A OF SECTION 4-104 OF THIS CHAPTER OR AS DESIGNATED  BY  THE
 LOCAL  BOARD  OF  ELECTION,  KEY  DATES  FOR VOTING REGISTRATION, VOTING
 TIMES, AND ABSENTEE VOTING DETAILED IN  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS
 POLITICAL  CALENDAR,  INFORMATION  ABOUT  THE VOTING RIGHTS OF STUDENTS,
 CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS, AND THE NAME  AND
 CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE STUDENT VOTING COORDINATOR ON EACH CAMPUS.
   (B)  EACH SUCH INSTITUTION SHALL, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR,
 AND AGAIN IN JANUARY OF A YEAR IN WHICH  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED
 STATES  IS  TO BE ELECTED, PROVIDE AN APPLICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION
 AND AN APPLICATION FOR AN EARLY MAIL BALLOT TO EACH STUDENT IN EACH SUCH
 INSTITUTION. EACH INSTITUTION SHALL BE CONSIDERED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE
 REQUIREMENTS OF THIS PARAGRAPH FOR EACH STUDENT TO WHOM THE  INSTITUTION
 ELECTRONICALLY  TRANSMITS  A  MESSAGE CONTAINING THE LINK TO THE WEBPAGE
 FOR VOTER EDUCATION, THE LINK TO THE WEBPAGE FOR  VOTER  EDUCATION,  THE
 LINK  TO AN APPLICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION AND THE LINK TO AN APPLI-
 CATION FOR AN EARLY MAIL BALLOT, IF SUCH INFORMATION IS IN AN ELECTRONIC
 MESSAGE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO VOTER REGISTRATION. EACH SUCH INSTITUTION
 A. 3954--A                          3
 
 SHALL PROVIDE THE SAME DEGREE OF ASSISTANCE AS REQUIRED OF PARTICIPATING
 AGENCIES.
   (C)  EACH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM ON BEHALF OF EACH
 INSTITUTION WITHIN ITS SYSTEM, SHALL ON OR BEFORE JUNE FIRST, TWO  THOU-
 SAND TWENTY-SIX, AND EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR, SUBMIT A REPORT DISAGGREGATED
 ACCORDING  TO  EACH  INSTITUTION  TO  THE  STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS THAT
 INCLUDES:
   (I) THE EFFORTS OF THE INSTITUTION TO REGISTER VOTERS IN THE PRECEDING
 CALENDAR YEAR;
   (II) A DATE-STAMPED SCREEN SHOT OF THE  WEBPAGE  FOR  VOTER  EDUCATION
 THAT  CONTAINS  THE  REQUIRED  INFORMATION  UNDER  PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION;
   (III) THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WERE REGISTERED FOR  COURSE  WORK  IN
 THE PRECEDING TWELVE MONTHS AT SUCH INSTITUTION AND THE NUMBER OF CLICKS
 ON THE LINKS TO ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION AND EARLY MAIL BALLOT APPLICA-
 TIONS; AND
   (IV)  ANY  OTHER  EFFORTS  OR RECOMMENDATIONS THE INSTITUTION PLANS TO
 IMPLEMENT TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO VOTER REGISTRATION AND EARLY MAIL  BALLOT
 VOTING FOR STUDENTS AT THE INSTITUTION.
   (D)  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL MAKE THE REPORTS PROVIDED
 PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON  ITS
 WEBSITE.
   20. (A) EACH HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK
 SHALL  DESIGNATE  A STAFF MEMBER TO ACT AS A STUDENT VOTING COORDINATOR.
 THE STUDENT VOTING COORDINATOR SHALL DEVELOP  AND  IMPLEMENT  A  STUDENT
 VOTING ACTION PLAN TO INCREASE STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTING AND
 DEMOCRATIC  PARTICIPATION  AMONG  STUDENTS.   SUCH STUDENT VOTING ACTION
 PLAN SHALL COVER THE TWO YEAR PERIOD IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING  EACH  STATE-
 WIDE  GENERAL  ELECTION, PROVIDED HOWEVER THAT THE ACTION PLAN FOLLOWING
 THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-
 FIVE  THAT  AMENDED  THIS  SUBDIVISION SHALL COVER THE PERIOD AFTER SUCH
 EFFECTIVE DATE, AND  SHALL  BE  UPDATED  AFTER  EACH  STATEWIDE  GENERAL
 ELECTION.
   (B) THE STUDENT VOTING ACTION PLAN SHALL INCLUDE:
   (I) A MINIMUM OF THREE ELECTION OUTREACH EVENTS TO INCREASE DEMOCRATIC
 PARTICIPATION  AND  STUDENT VOTING DURING AN ACADEMIC YEAR, INCLUDING AT
 LEAST ONE EVENT DURING THE FORTY-FIVE DAYS PRECEDING A GENERAL OR PRIMA-
 RY ELECTION. AT LEAST ONE EVENT SHALL BE  HELD  IN-PERSON.  SUCH  EVENTS
 SHALL  BE  OPEN  FOR  ALL  STUDENTS  TO  ATTEND, AND MAY BE SPONSORED BY
 STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDED THEY MAINTAIN THE REQUIREMENTS AS SPECI-
 FIED IN PARAGRAPH (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (II) PROVISION OF INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS ON VOTING AND  VOTER  REGIS-
 TRATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO APPLICATION AND ONLINE APPLICATION
 FOR  VOTER  REGISTRATION  AS  REQUIRED  IN  SUBDIVISION EIGHTEEN OF THIS
 SECTION, IN CENTRAL LOCATIONS AND HIGH-TRAFFIC AREAS ON CAMPUS,  INCLUD-
 ING  DURING ORIENTATION EVENTS FOR NEW STUDENTS AND DURING COURSE REGIS-
 TRATION PROCESSES, AND IN ELECTRONIC MESSAGES, SOCIAL  MEDIA  PLATFORMS,
 AND TEXT MESSAGES TO CELLULAR PHONES, TO THE EXTENT THE INSTITUTION USES
 SUCH METHODS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO STUDENTS.
   (III)  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  LOCAL BOARDS OF ELECTIONS, PROVISION OF
 PRE-FILLED VOTER REGISTRATION  APPLICATIONS  WITH  RELEVANT  RESIDENTIAL
 ADDRESSES ON THE CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY OF THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.
   (IV)  DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTING
 OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL STUDENTS ON THE WEBSITE CREATED PURSUANT TO  SUBDI-
 VISION EIGHTEEN OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING:
   (A) THE DATES FOR EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY VOTING;
 A. 3954--A                          4
 
   (B)  THE  LAST  DAY  FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, ENROLLMENT, AND CHANGE OF
 ENROLLMENT;
   (C)  THE PROCESS TO SEARCH FOR A VOTER'S EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY
 ASSIGNED POLL SITES AND VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS;
   (D) THE LOCATION  AND  HOURS  OF  THE  POLLING  PLACE  DESIGNATED  FOR
 STUDENTS REGISTERED TO VOTE AT ANY ADDRESS ON THE CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY OF
 THE INSTITUTION, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FIVE-A OF SECTION 4-104 OF THIS
 CHAPTER, IF SUCH POLLING PLACE IS DESIGNATED;
   (E)  THE PROCESS AND DEADLINES FOR APPLYING FOR AND RETURNING ABSENTEE
 BALLOTS, EARLY MAIL BALLOTS, AND FOR CURING DEFECTS IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS;
   (F) THE OPTION TO USE STUDENTS' CAMPUS RESIDENCE ADDRESS  TO  REGISTER
 TO VOTE;
   (G)  THE  PROTECTIONS  FOR  THE RIGHT TO VOTE PURSUANT TO TITLE TWO OF
 ARTICLE SEVENTEEN OF THIS CHAPTER, THE JOHN R. LEWIS VOTING  RIGHTS  ACT
 OF NEW YORK, AND THE RIGHTS OF VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES; AND
   (H) THE ASSISTANCE FOR LANGUAGE-MINORITY GROUPS AS PROVIDED BY SECTION
 17-208 OF THIS CHAPTER.
   (V) SUPPORT OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES TO INCREASE
 VOTER  REGISTRATION AND VOTING BY STUDENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
 PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE, DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION OF ACTIVITIES,  OR
 FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
   (VI)  A  POLICY  ALLOWING A STUDENT TO BE EXCUSED FROM CLASS OR ABSENT
 FROM A JOB WITH THE INSTITUTION FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD FOR THE  PURPOSE
 OF  VOTING  ON ELECTION DAY, IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT HAVE THREE HOURS OF
 CONTINUOUS TIME OUT OF CLASS OR OFF FROM  A  JOB  WITH  THE  INSTITUTION
 DURING THE TIME THE POLLS ARE OPEN ON ELECTION DAY.
   (VII)  ANY  OTHER  ACTIVITIES  TO  IMPROVE  ACCESS TO VOTING AND VOTER
 REGISTRATION FOR STUDENTS.
   (C) THE WORK OF THE STUDENT VOTING COORDINATOR AND THE  ACTIVITIES  IN
 THE  STUDENT  VOTING  ACTION PLAN, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO OUTREACH
 EVENTS,  INFORMATIONAL  MATERIALS,  AND  COMMUNICATIONS,  SHALL  NOT  BE
 CONDUCTED  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF FAVORING OR DISFAVORING PARTICULAR CANDI-
 DATES OR POLITICAL PARTIES.
   (D) THE CHANCELLOR OR PRESIDENT OF EACH HIGHER  EDUCATION  INSTITUTION
 IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL PROMULGATE RULES FOR THE MANNER OF DEVEL-
 OPING  THE  STUDENT  VOTING ACTION PLAN WHICH SHALL INCLUDE CONSULTATION
 WITH STAFF, FACULTY MEMBERS, AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS  WITH  EXPERIENCE
 IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
   (E)  ON  OR  BEFORE  JUNE  FIRST OF EACH YEAR, EACH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE STATE BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS, IN A FORM AND MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE BOARD,  DETAILING  ITS
 EFFORTS  TO  PROMOTE  STUDENT  VOTER REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION. THE
 STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE  UNIVERSITY  OF
 NEW  YORK  AND  THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, SHALL ESTABLISH UNIFORM
 STANDARDS FOR SUCH REPORTS. EACH REPORT SHALL BE DISAGGREGATED BY INSTI-
 TUTION AND SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (I) THE EFFORTS OF THE INSTITUTION TO  PROMOTE  VOTER  ACCESS  IN  THE
 PRECEDING CALENDAR YEAR, INCLUDING THE STUDENT VOTING ACTION PLAN DEVEL-
 OPED AND IMPLEMENTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION;
   (II) A DATE-STAMPED SCREENSHOT OF THE WEBPAGE FOR VOTER EDUCATION THAT
 CONTAINS  THE  INFORMATION  REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION EIGHTEEN OR
 NINETEEN OF THIS SECTION, AS APPLICABLE;
   (III) NON-PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA  ON  STUDENT  REGISTRATION  AND
 PARTICIPATION,  INCLUDING  THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS REGISTERED FOR COURSE-
 WORK IN THE PRECEDING TWELVE MONTHS AND, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE,  THE
 A. 3954--A                          5
 
 NUMBER  OF  CLICKS  ON LINKS TO ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION AND EARLY MAIL
 BALLOT APPLICATIONS PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTION; AND
   (IV)  ANY  OTHER  EFFORTS  OR RECOMMENDATIONS THE INSTITUTION PLANS TO
 IMPLEMENT TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO VOTER REGISTRATION  AND  VOTING  FOR  ITS
 STUDENTS.
   (F)  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL MAKE ALL REPORTS PROVIDED
 PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (E) OF THIS SUBDIVISION PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON  ITS
 WEBSITE.  THE  BOARD  SHALL ALSO, NOT LATER THAN SEPTEMBER FIRST OF EACH
 YEAR, PREPARE AND PUBLISH ON ITS  WEBSITE  A  SUMMARY  REPORT  ANALYZING
 STATEWIDE  TRENDS  IN STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION BASED
 ON THE DATA PROVIDED.
   (G) TO SUPPLEMENT THE DATA COLLECTED AND  ANALYSIS  PERFORMED  BY  THE
 BOARD,  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS MAY COORDINATE WITH A QUALIFIED
 ACADEMIC OR  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  RESEARCH  INSTITUTION,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  THOSE  LOCATED  OUTSIDE  THE STATE, WHICH CONDUCTS NATIONAL
 STUDIES ON STUDENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND VOTER PARTICIPATION, TO  FACILI-
 TATE  THE  COLLECTION,  ANALYSIS, AND PUBLIC REPORTING OF NON-PERSONALLY
 IDENTIFIABLE DATA REGARDING STUDENT VOTING IN THE STATE.
   § 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 17-208 of the  election
 law,  as added by chapter 226 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as
 follows:
   (a) more than two percent, but in no instance fewer than three hundred
 individuals, of the citizens of voting age of a political subdivision OR
 RESIDENTS OF A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY are members of a  single  language-
 minority group and are limited English proficient.
   §  4. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law; provided, however, that if chapter 226 of the laws  of  2022  shall
 not  have taken effect on or before such date then section three of this
 act shall take effect on the same date and in the same  manner  as  such
 chapter  of  the  laws of 2022 takes effect.  Effective immediately, any
 rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this  act
 on  its  effective  date  are  authorized to be made and completed on or
 before such date.