S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3954
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. RAGA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to enacting  the  "student
   voter empowerment act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "student voter empowerment act".
   §  2.  Subdivision 18 of section 5-211 of the election law, as amended
 by chapter 481 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   18. (a) [(i)] On or before January first,  two  thousand  twenty,  all
 institutions of the state university of New York and the city university
 of  New  York  shall create and make available to all students a webpage
 for voter education on each such  institution's  website,  containing  a
 link  to an application for voter registration, a link to an application
 for an early mail ballot, UPDATED INFORMATION  ABOUT  THE  LOCATION  AND
 HOURS OF THE POLLING PLACE DESIGNATED FOR STUDENTS REGISTERED TO VOTE ON
 THE CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY OF THE INSTITUTION, IF SUCH POLLING PLACE EXISTS
 PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  FIVE-A OF SECTION 4-104 OF THIS CHAPTER OR AS
 DESIGNATED BY THE LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTION, KEY DATES FOR  VOTING  REGIS-
 TRATION,  VOTING  TIMES, AND ABSENTEE VOTING DETAILED IN THE STATE BOARD
 OF ELECTIONS POLITICAL CALENDAR, INFORMATION ABOUT THE VOTING RIGHTS  OF
 STUDENTS, contact information for the county board of elections, and the
 name  and  contact  information  for  the [administrator responsible for
 voter  registration  assistance]  STUDENT  VOTING  COORDINATOR  on  each
 campus.
   [(ii)] (B) Each such institution shall, at the beginning of the school
 year,  and  again  in  January  of  a year in which the president of the
 United States is to be elected, provide an application for voter  regis-
 tration  and  an application for an early mail ballot to each student in
 each such institution. Each institution shall be considered  in  compli-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03341-01-5
              

 A. 3954                             2
 
 ance  with  the  requirements  of this [subparagraph] PARAGRAPH for each
 student to whom  the  institution  electronically  transmits  a  message
 containing  the  link to the webpage for voter education, the link to an
 application for voter registration and the link to an application for an
 early  mail  ballot,  if  such  information  is in an electronic message
 devoted exclusively to voter registration.
   [(iii)] (C) Each such institution shall provide  the  same  degree  of
 assistance as required of participating agencies.
   [(b)] 19. (A) EACH INSTITUTION WITHIN THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
 AND  THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL DESIGNATE A STAFF MEMBER TO
 ACT AS A STUDENT VOTING  COORDINATOR.  THE  STUDENT  VOTING  COORDINATOR
 SHALL  DEVELOP  AND  IMPLEMENT  A STUDENT VOTING ACTION PLAN TO INCREASE
 STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTING AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION AMONG
 STUDENTS.  SUCH STUDENT VOTING ACTION PLAN  SHALL  COVER  THE  TWO  YEAR
 PERIOD  IMMEDIATELY  PRECEDING EACH STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION, PROVIDED
 HOWEVER THAT THE ACTION PLAN FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CHAPTER
 OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE THAT  AMENDED  THIS  SUBDIVISION
 SHALL  COVER  THE PERIOD AFTER SUCH EFFECTIVE DATE, AND SHALL BE UPDATED
 AFTER EACH STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION.
   (B) THE STUDENT VOTING ACTION PLAN SHALL INCLUDE:
   (I) A MINIMUM OF THREE ELECTION OUTREACH EVENTS TO INCREASE DEMOCRATIC
 PARTICIPATION AND STUDENT VOTING DURING AN ACADEMIC YEAR,  INCLUDING  AT
 LEAST ONE EVENT DURING THE FORTY-FIVE DAYS PRECEDING A GENERAL OR PRIMA-
 RY  ELECTION.  AT  LEAST  ONE EVENT SHALL BE HELD IN-PERSON. SUCH EVENTS
 SHALL BE OPEN FOR ALL STUDENTS  TO  ATTEND,  AND  MAY  BE  SPONSORED  BY
 STUDENT  ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDED THEY MAINTAIN REQUIREMENTS IN PARAGRAPH
 (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (II) PROVISION OF INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS ON VOTING AND  VOTER  REGIS-
 TRATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO APPLICATION AND ONLINE APPLICATION
 FOR  VOTER  REGISTRATION  AS  REQUIRED  IN  SUBDIVISION EIGHTEEN OF THIS
 SECTION, IN CENTRAL LOCATIONS AND HIGH-TRAFFIC AREAS ON CAMPUS,  INCLUD-
 ING  DURING ORIENTATION EVENTS FOR NEW STUDENTS AND DURING COURSE REGIS-
 TRATION PROCESSES, AND IN ELECTRONIC MESSAGES, SOCIAL  MEDIA  PLATFORMS,
 AND TEXT MESSAGES TO CELLULAR PHONES, TO THE EXTENT THE INSTITUTION USES
 SUCH METHODS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO STUDENTS.
   (III)  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  LOCAL BOARDS OF ELECTIONS, PROVISION OF
 PRE-FILLED VOTER REGISTRATION  APPLICATIONS  WITH  RELEVANT  RESIDENTIAL
 ADDRESSES ON THE CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY OF THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.
   (IV)  DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTING
 OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL STUDENTS ON THE WEBSITE CREATED PURSUANT TO  SUBDI-
 VISION EIGHTEEN OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING:
   (A) THE DATES FOR EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY VOTING;
   (B)  THE  LAST  DAY  FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, ENROLLMENT, AND CHANGE OF
 ENROLLMENT;
   (C) THE PROCESS TO SEARCH FOR A VOTER'S EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION  DAY
 ASSIGNED POLL SITES AND VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS;
   (D)  THE  LOCATION  AND  HOURS  OF  THE  POLLING  PLACE DESIGNATED FOR
 STUDENTS REGISTERED TO VOTE AT ANY ADDRESS ON THE CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY OF
 THE INSTITUTION, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FIVE-A OF SECTION 4-104 OF THIS
 CHAPTER, IF SUCH POLLING PLACE IS DESIGNATED;
   (E) THE PROCESS AND DEADLINES FOR APPLYING FOR AND RETURNING  ABSENTEE
 BALLOTS, EARLY MAIL BALLOTS, AND FOR CURING DEFECTS IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS;
   (F)  THE  OPTION TO USE STUDENTS' CAMPUS RESIDENCE ADDRESS TO REGISTER
 TO VOTE;
 A. 3954                             3
 
   (G) THE PROTECTIONS FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE PURSUANT  TO  TITLE  TWO  OF
 ARTICLE  SEVENTEEN  OF THIS CHAPTER, THE JOHN R. LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT
 OF NEW YORK, AND THE RIGHTS OF VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES; AND
   (H) THE ASSISTANCE FOR LANGUAGE-MINORITY GROUPS AS PROVIDED BY SECTION
 17-208 OF THIS CHAPTER.
   (V) SUPPORT OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES TO INCREASE
 VOTER  REGISTRATION AND VOTING BY STUDENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
 PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE, DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION OF ACTIVITIES,  OR
 FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
   (VI)  A  POLICY  ALLOWING A STUDENT TO BE EXCUSED FROM CLASS OR ABSENT
 FROM A JOB WITH THE INSTITUTION FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD FOR THE  PURPOSE
 OF  VOTING  ON ELECTION DAY, IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT HAVE THREE HOURS OF
 CONTINUOUS TIME OUT OF CLASS OR OFF FROM  A  JOB  WITH  THE  INSTITUTION
 DURING THE TIME THE POLLS ARE OPEN ON ELECTION DAY.
   (VII)  ANY  OTHER  ACTIVITIES  TO  IMPROVE  ACCESS TO VOTING AND VOTER
 REGISTRATION FOR STUDENTS.
   (C) THE WORK OF THE STUDENT VOTING COORDINATOR AND THE  ACTIVITIES  IN
 THE  STUDENT  VOTING  ACTION PLAN, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO OUTREACH
 EVENTS,  INFORMATIONAL  MATERIALS,  AND  COMMUNICATIONS,  SHALL  NOT  BE
 CONDUCTED  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF FAVORING OR DISFAVORING PARTICULAR CANDI-
 DATES OR POLITICAL PARTIES.
   (D) THE CHANCELLOR OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND  THE  CHAN-
 CELLOR OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL PROMULGATE RULES FOR THE
 MANNER  OF DEVELOPING THE STUDENT VOTING ACTION PLAN WHICH SHALL INCLUDE
 CONSULTATION WITH STAFF, FACULTY MEMBERS, AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS WITH
 EXPERIENCE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
   (E) EACH INSTITUTION WITHIN THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK  AND  THE
 CITY  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW  YORK  SHALL  ENROLL IN THE NATIONAL STUDY FOR
 LEARNING, VOTING, AND ENGAGEMENT BY  THE  INSTITUTE  FOR  DEMOCRACY  AND
 HIGHER  EDUCATION AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY. WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF RECEIVING A
 REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL STUDY FOR LEARNING, VOTING, AND  ENGAGEMENT  BY
 THE INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY AND HIGHER EDUCATION AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY, AN
 INSTITUTION  SHALL  SEND THE REPORT TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS. THE
 STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL MAKE SUCH REPORTS PUBLICLY  AVAILABLE  ON
 THE WEBSITE.
   (F)  The  state  university of New York and the city university of New
 York, on behalf of each institution  within  its  system,  shall  on  or
 before June first, two thousand twenty, and each subsequent year, submit
 a  report disaggregated according to each institution to the state board
 of elections that includes:
   (i) the efforts of the institution to register voters in the preceding
 calendar year;
   (ii) a date-stamped screen shot of the  webpage  for  voter  education
 that  contains  the  required  information under [paragraph (a) of this]
 subdivision EIGHTEEN OF THIS SECTION;
   (iii) the number of students who were registered for  course  work  in
 the preceding twelve months at such institution and the number of clicks
 on the links to online voter registration and early mail ballot applica-
 tions; [and]
   (iv)  any  other  efforts  or recommendations the institution plans to
 implement to improve access to voter registration and early mail  ballot
 voting for students at the institution; AND
   (V) EACH STUDENT VOTING ACTION PLAN DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED PURSUANT
 TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
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   [(c)] (G) The state board of elections shall make the reports provided
 pursuant  to  paragraph [(b)] (F) of this subdivision publicly available
 on its website.
   §  3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 17-208 of the election
 law, as added by chapter 226 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read  as
 follows:
   (a) more than two percent, but in no instance fewer than three hundred
 individuals, of the citizens of voting age of a political subdivision OR
 RESIDENTS  OF  A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY are members of a single language-
 minority group and are limited English proficient.
   § 4. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become  a
 law;  provided,  however,  that if chapter 226 of the laws of 2022 shall
 not have taken effect on or before such date then section three of  this
 act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same manner as such
 chapter of the laws of 2022 takes effect.   Effective  immediately,  any
 rules  and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act
 on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and  completed  on  or
 before such date.