Senate Bill S2369

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2369
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
 
 AN ACT to amend the election  law,  in  relation  to  designating  every
   government  entity which issues licenses to carry, possess, repair and
   dispose of firearms as participating agencies for  voter  registration
   form distribution and assistance
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The opening paragraph of section 5-211 of the election law,
 as amended by section 7 of part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, is
 amended to read as follows:
   Each agency designated as a participating agency under the  provisions
 of this section shall implement and administer a program of distribution
 of  voter registration forms pursuant to the provisions of this section.
 The following offices which provide  public  assistance  and/or  provide
 state funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons
 with  disabilities are hereby designated as voter registration agencies:
 designated as the state agencies which provide public assistance are the
 office of children and family services,  the  office  of  temporary  and
 disability  assistance  and the department of health. Also designated as
 public assistance agencies are all agencies  of  local  government  that
 provide  such  assistance.  Designated  as  state  agencies that provide
 programs primarily engaged in providing services to people with disabil-
 ities are the department of labor, office for the aging,  department  of
 veterans'  services,  office  of mental health, office of vocational and
 educational services for individuals with  disabilities,  commission  on
 quality of care for the mentally disabled, office for people with devel-
 opmental  disabilities,  commission  for  the blind, office of addiction
 services and supports, the office of the advocate for the  disabled  and
 all  offices  which  administer  programs  established or funded by such
 agencies. Additional participating agencies designated as  voter  regis-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02554-01-5
              

 S. 2369                             2
 
 tration  offices are the department of state and the district offices of
 the workers' compensation board AND  EVERY  COURT  AND  LAW  ENFORCEMENT
 AGENCY WHEN SUCH ENTITIES ARE ISSUING LICENSES TO CARRY, POSSESS, REPAIR
 OR  DISPOSE OF FIREARMS.  Such agencies shall be required to offer voter
 registration forms to persons upon  initial  application  for  services,
 UPON  renewal  or  recertification for services, PARTICIPATION IN ACTIV-
 ITIES OR USE OF FACILITIES OF THE AGENCY, and  upon  change  of  address
 relating  to  such services. Such agencies shall also be responsible for
 providing assistance to  applicants  in  completing  voter  registration
 forms,  receiving  and  transmitting the completed application form from
 all applicants who wish to have such form transmitted to the appropriate
 board of elections. The state board of elections  shall,  together  with
 representatives  of the United States department of defense, develop and
 implement procedures for including  recruitment  offices  of  the  armed
 forces  of  the  United  States  as voter registration offices when such
 offices are so designated by federal law.  The state board of  elections
 shall also make request of the United States Citizenship and Immigration
 Services to include applications for registration by mail with any mate-
 rials which are given to new citizens.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or
 before such date.