S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7860
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 28, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law and the administrative code of the city
   of New York, in relation to allowing certain campaign funds to be used
   for disability access services and language interpretation and  trans-
   lation services

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 14-130 of the election law is amended by adding two
 new subdivisions 4-a and 4-b to read as follows:
   4-A. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT  A  CANDIDATE  FROM  USING
 CAMPAIGN  CONTRIBUTIONS TO PAY FOR DISABILITY ACCESS SERVICES, INCLUDING
 BUT NOT LIMITED TO CAPTIONING, SIGN LANGUAGE  INTERPRETATION,  ASSISTIVE
 LISTENING  DEVICE,  BRAILLE, LARGE PRINT, COMMUNICATION ACCESS REAL-TIME
 TRANSLATION (CART) AND ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
   4-B. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT  A  CANDIDATE  FROM  USING
 CAMPAIGN    CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  PAY FOR LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION OR TRANS-
 LATION SERVICES.
   § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 14-206 of the election law, as added  by
 section  4  of part ZZZ of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is amended to
 read as follows:
   1. Public matching funds provided pursuant to this title may  be  used
 only  by an authorized committee for expenditures to further the partic-
 ipating candidate's nomination for election  or  election[,  including].
 SUCH  EXPENDITURES MAY INCLUDE paying for debts incurred within one year
 prior to an election to further the participating candidate's nomination
 for election or election AND PAYING FOR DISABILITY  ACCESS  SERVICES  OR
 LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION OR TRANSLATION SERVICES.
   §  3.  Section  14-204  of the election law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 6 to read as follows:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10849-03-1
              

 A. 7860                             2
 
   6. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO LIMIT THE  AMOUNT  OF
 PUBLIC  FUNDS  THAT  MAY  BE  PROVIDED TO A CANDIDATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
 PAYING FOR DISABILITY ACCESS  SERVICES  OR  LANGUAGE  INTERPRETATION  OR
 TRANSLATION SERVICES.
   §  4.  Subparagraphs  12  and  13  of paragraph a of subdivision 21 of
 section 3-702 of the administrative  code  of  the  city  of  New  York,
 subparagraph  12  as  amended  and subparagraph 13 as added by local law
 number 196 of the city of New York for the year 2018,  are  amended  and
 two new subparagraphs 14 and 15 are added to read as follows:
   12.  Expenditures  to  facilitate, support, or otherwise assist in the
 execution or performance of the duties of public office; [and]
   13. Childcare services, provided that: (i) the candidate has  received
 an  approved  statement  of  campaign childcare eligibility, pursuant to
 subdivision 23 of this section, demonstrating that such services are for
 a child or children under thirteen years of age for whom  the  candidate
 is  a primary caregiver and that either the need for such services would
 not exist but for the  campaign  or  the  candidate  has  experienced  a
 significant loss of salary or wage earnings that would not have occurred
 but  for  the campaign; and (ii) that expenditures for such services may
 only be incurred during the calendar year of the election, and the  year
 immediately  preceding the calendar year of the election, and may not be
 incurred after such election is held[.];
   14. DISABILITY ACCESS SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO  CAPTION-
 ING,  SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION, ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICE, BRAILLE,
 LARGE PRINT,  COMMUNICATION  ACCESS  REAL-TIME  TRANSLATION  (CART)  AND
 ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES; AND
   15. LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION SERVICES.
   §  5. Section 3-706 of the administrative code of the city of New York
 is amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. EXPENDITURES MADE FOR THE PURPOSE  OF  DISABILITY  ACCESS  SERVICES
 PURSUANT  TO  SUBPARAGRAPH 14 OR LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION
 SERVICES PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH 15 OF PARAGRAPH A OF SECTION 3-702  OF
 THIS CHAPTER SHALL NOT BE LIMITED BY THE EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS OF THIS
 SECTION.
   § 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall  have  become  a  law; provided, however that sections two and
 three of this act shall take effect on the same date  and  in  the  same
 manner as section 4 of part ZZZ of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, takes
 effect.  Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of
 any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on
 its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or  before
 such effective date.