STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
866
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 6, 2023
___________
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:
1 Section 1. The opening paragraph of section 5-211 of the election law,
2 as amended by section 7 of part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 Each agency designated as a participating agency under the provisions
5 of this section shall implement and administer a program of distribution
6 of voter registration forms pursuant to the provisions of this section.
7 The following offices which provide public assistance and/or provide
8 state funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons
9 with disabilities are hereby designated as voter registration agencies:
10 designated as the state agencies which provide public assistance are the
11 office of children and family services, the office of temporary and
12 disability assistance and the department of health. Also designated as
13 public assistance agencies are all agencies of local government that
14 provide such assistance. Designated as state agencies that provide
15 programs primarily engaged in providing services to people with disabil-
16 ities are the department of labor, office for the aging, department of
17 veterans' services, office of mental health, office of vocational and
18 educational services for individuals with disabilities, commission on
19 quality of care for the mentally disabled, office for people with devel-
20 opmental disabilities, commission for the blind, office of addiction
21 services and supports, the office of the advocate for the disabled and
22 all offices which administer programs established or funded by such
23 agencies. Additional participating agencies designated as voter regis-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00434-01-3
S. 866 2
1 tration offices are the department of state and the district offices of
2 the workers' compensation board and every court and law enforcement
3 agency when such entities are issuing licenses to carry, possess, repair
4 or dispose of firearms. Such agencies shall be required to offer voter
5 registration forms to persons upon initial application for services,
6 upon renewal or recertification for services, participation in activ-
7 ities or use of facilities of the agency, and upon change of address
8 relating to such services. Such agencies shall also be responsible for
9 providing assistance to applicants in completing voter registration
10 forms, receiving and transmitting the completed application form from
11 all applicants who wish to have such form transmitted to the appropriate
12 board of elections. The state board of elections shall, together with
13 representatives of the United States department of defense, develop and
14 implement procedures for including recruitment offices of the armed
15 forces of the United States as voter registration offices when such
16 offices are so designated by federal law. The state board of elections
17 shall also make request of the United States Citizenship and Immigration
18 Services to include applications for registration by mail with any mate-
19 rials which are given to new citizens.
20 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
21 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
22 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
23 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or
24 before such date.