NY State Senate Bill 2023-S866

Senate Bill S866

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates 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

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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
Jan 03, 2024	referred to elections
Jan 06, 2023	referred to elections

co-Sponsors

2023-S866 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1995
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §5-211, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S7049, A9703
2019-2020: S687, A1703
2021-2022: S3617, A4232

2023-S866 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S866 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S866

SPONSOR: ORTT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

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

 
PURPOSE:

Would require every court and law enforcement agency who have responsi-
bility to issue licenses to carry, posses, repair or dispose of firearms
to implement a program for the distribution of voter registration forms

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Amends section 5-211 of the election law to require every court and law
enforcement agency who have responsibility to issue licenses to carry,
posses, repair or dispose of firearms to implement a program for the
distribution of voter registration forms. Further also adds them to the

list of entities that must provide assistance in the completion of these
forms.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Under current law entities such as the Department of Labor, Office for
the Aging, Division of Veterans, and Military Affairs, Office of Mental
Health, Office of People with Developmental Disabilities, Office of
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse are required to provide forms and assist-
ance as it relates to voter registration forms.  Further Executive Order
169 of 2017 required all State Agencies to provide voter registration
forms and assistance. This legislation continues the spirit of this law,
and executive order by expanding voter registration opportunities.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: S. 3617 Referred to Elections

2019-2020: S.678 Referred to Elections

2017-2018: S. 7049 referred to Elections

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
120 days.

2023-S866 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    866
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              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:
 
   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.
                                                            LBD00434-01-3

 S. 866                              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.

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Senate Bill S866

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Sponsored By

Robert G. Ortt