Senate Bill S638

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to the text of proposed constitutional amendments and questions

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

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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2023-S638 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §4-108, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2013-2014: S6614
2015-2016: S578
2017-2018: S1849, S7098
2019-2020: S2325
2021-2022: S2876

2023-S638 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the text of proposed constitutional amendments and questions; requires the state board of elections to publish the text of any proposed constitutional amendment, proposition or question; requires that the language of the proposed amendment, proposition or question be unbiased; requires that the language be prepared by the attorney general.

2023-S638 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S638 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    638
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 5, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. KAVANAGH -- 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 the  text  of  proposed
   constitutional amendments and questions
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraphs a and d of subdivision 1 and subdivisions 2  and
 3 of section 4-108 of the election law, paragraph d of subdivision 1 and
 subdivision  2 as amended by chapter 136 of the laws of 1978, and subdi-
 vision 3 as added by chapter 234 of the laws of  1976,  are  amended  to
 read as follows:
   a.  Whenever any proposed amendment to the constitution or other ques-
 tion provided by law to be  submitted  to  a  statewide  vote  shall  be
 submitted to the people for their approval, the state board of elections
 at least three months prior to the general election at which such amend-
 ment,  proposition or question is to be submitted, shall (I) transmit to
 each county board of elections a certified copy  of  the  text  of  each
 amendment,  proposition or question and a statement of the form in which
 it is to be submitted; AND (II) PUBLISH A  COPY  OF  THE  TEXT  OF  EACH
 AMENDMENT,  PROPOSITION OR QUESTION AND A STATEMENT OF THE FORM IN WHICH
 IT IS TO BE SUBMITTED ON THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WEBSITE UNTIL  THE
 DAY AFTER THE GENERAL ELECTION OF THAT PARTICULAR YEAR.
   d.  In  addition  to  the  text, AS REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH A OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION, such transmittal shall contain an abstract of such proposed
 amendment, proposition or question, [prepared  by  the  state  board  of
 elections]  concisely  stating the purpose and effect thereof in a clear
 and coherent manner using words with common and everyday meanings.
   2. The form in which the proposed amendment, proposition  or  question
 is to be submitted shall consist of only an abbreviated title indicating
 generally  and  briefly,  and  in  a clear, UNBIASED and coherent manner
 using words with common and [every-day] EVERYDAY meanings,  the  subject
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02429-01-3

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