NY State Senate Bill 2025-S5738

Senate Bill S5738

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires the board of elections to provide Russian interpreters at certain polling locations in N.Y. city

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 28, 2025	referred to elections

2025-S5738 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2457
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §5-216, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S7337, A9182
2015-2016: S1703, A4749
2017-2018: S223, A3904
2019-2020: S6273, A3147
2021-2022: S5766, A4237
2023-2024: S4033, A3878

2025-S5738 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the board of elections to provide Russian interpreters at certain polling locations in cities having a population in excess of one million people.

2025-S5738 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5738

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring the board of
elections to provide Russian interpreters to certain polling locations
in cities having a population in excess of one million people

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To provide Russian interpreters at polling locations for people whose
first language is Russian.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of this bill amends subdivision 2 of section 5-216 of the
Election Law by adding paragraph (b), which provides a city with at
least one million people, which contains any county that has a popu-
lation comprised of five percent or more of people whose first language
is Russian shall be provided Russian interpreters at polling locations
in those election districts within each such county in such city by the

board of elections.

Section 2 of this bill provides that this act shall take effect imme-
diately and shall apply to all elections conducted on or after such an
effective date.

 
EXISTING LAW:

A New York State resident who does not speak English may be assisted by
a relative for interpretation services.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Currently Russian interpreters are not provided at polling locations in
election districts within counties within cities having a population of
one million or more that have a five percent or more population of
people whose first language is Russian. This will help encourage more
voter participation of people whose first language is Russian.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024; Held in Elections Senate Committee.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all elections
conducted on or after such an effective date.

2025-S5738 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5738
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 28, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- 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 requiring the board  of
   elections to provide Russian interpreters to certain polling locations
   in cities having a population in excess of one million people

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section  5-216  of  the  election  law  is
 amended to read as follows:
   2.  A.  If  the  applicant  be a person who does not speak the English
 language, [he] THE APPLICANT may be  assisted  by  a  relative  who  can
 interpret  for [him] THE APPLICANT. If the applicant registers with this
 assistance the board shall put in the remarks space of the  registration
 forms the name and address, and the relationship, of the person so doing
 the  interpreting and the interpreter shall sign [his] THE INTERPRETER'S
 name in the remarks space.
   B. IN ANY CITY HAVING A POPULATION OF  ONE  MILLION  OR  MORE  PEOPLE,
 WHICH  CONTAINS  ANY  COUNTY  THAT  HAS  A  POPULATION COMPRISED OF FIVE
 PERCENT OR MORE OF PEOPLE WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS  RUSSIAN  WITHIN  SUCH
 COUNTY,  THE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS SHALL PROVIDE RUSSIAN INTERPRETERS AT
 POLLING LOCATIONS IN THOSE ELECTION DISTRICTS WITHIN EACH SUCH COUNTY IN
 THE CITY HAVING A POPULATION COMPRISED OF FIVE PERCENT  OR  MORE  PEOPLE
 WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS RUSSIAN.
   §  2.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
 elections conducted on or after such effective date.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03891-01-5

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Brandy_Bissonette_1

4 months ago

If here legally they should know enough English to vote already. If not here legally then they need to be removed and not allowed to vote. Part of assimilation to becoming a legal citizen is to lean english

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