Assembly Bill A7134

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7134
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BICHOTTE HERMELYN,  GIBBS  --  read once and
   referred to the Committee on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to provision of interpret-
   ers at poll sites in certain cities
 
   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 8-110
 to read as follows:
   § 8-110. BOARD OF ELECTIONS, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE
 OF ANY CITY WITH A POPULATION OF  ONE  MILLION  OR  MORE;  PROVISION  OF
 INTERPRETERS.  1.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY,
 ANY BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION  OF  ONE  MILLION  OR
 MORE  SHALL,  AT  A MINIMUM, PROVIDE INTERPRETERS FOR ALL LANGUAGES THAT
 ARE DESIGNATED CITY-WIDE LANGUAGES PURSUANT TO SECTION  23-1101  OF  THE
 ADMINISTRATIVE  CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK OR OTHER APPLICABLE STATUTE
 AT ALL POLL SITES THAT CONTAIN AN ELECTION DISTRICT WITH AT LEAST  FIFTY
 VOTING  AGE  RESIDENTS  WHOSE  LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY LANGUAGE IS A
 DESIGNATED CITY-WIDE LANGUAGE. THE VOTING DISTRICTS WITH AT LEAST  FIFTY
 VOTING  AGE  RESIDENTS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY SHALL BE MADE BY
 THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS BASED UPON THE MOST RECENT UNITED  STATES  CENSUS
 DATA  OR  AMERICAN  COMMUNITY SURVEY DATA, WHICHEVER IS MORE RECENT, AND
 BEGINNING ON JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT, SUCH  DATA  SHALL
 BE  REVIEWED  EVERY  TWO YEARS. UNLESS AN ELECTION DISTRICT HAS AT LEAST
 FIFTY VOTING AGE RESIDENTS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY WHO SPEAK  A
 SPECIFIC  CITY-WIDE LANGUAGE, AN INTERPRETER FOR SUCH CITY-WIDE LANGUAGE
 SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED FOR ANY POLL SITE IN SUCH ELECTION DISTRICT.
   2. ALL INTERPRETERS PROVIDED BY  A  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  PURSUANT  TO
 SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS SECTION SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC
 INSIDE THE POLL SITE. ANY INTERPRETER WHO ENGAGES  IN  ANY  ACTIVITY  IN
 VIOLATION  OF  SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION 8-104 OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE
 IMMEDIATELY RELIEVED OF THEIR DUTIES AS AN INTERPRETER.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10568-01-5
              

 A. 7134                             2
 
   3. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL  RESTRICT  OR  PROHIBIT  A  BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS  FROM  PROVIDING  INTERPRETERS  FOR  LANGUAGES  THAT  ARE  NOT
 REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   4. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS
 THAT  INCLUDE ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR THE NUMBER OF INTERPRETERS THAT
 WILL BE REQUIRED AT EACH POLL SITE BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF  VOTING  AGE
 RESIDENTS  IN AN ELECTION DISTRICT WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY THAT
 SPEAK A SPECIFIC LANGUAGE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
 the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
 sary for the implementation of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.