Bill Text: NY A04310 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Creates a temporary commission on consolidating the conduct of municipal elections by boards of elections to make recommendations and prepare proposed legislation to consolidate the conduct of all public entity elections by the county boards of elections and consolidate all public entity elections to the date of the November general election; provides commission shall consist of nine members, each to serve for a term of two years; makes an appropriation therefor.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-04-23 - print number 4310b [A04310 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A04310-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4310
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 2, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Election Law
        AN  ACT to create a temporary commission on consolidating the conduct of
          municipal elections by boards of elections;  making  an  appropriation
          therefor; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expira-
          tion thereof
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. A temporary state commission  is  hereby  created  to  make
     2  recommendations and prepare proposed legislation to: (i) consolidate the
     3  conduct  of  all  public  entity  elections  by  the  county  boards  of
     4  elections; and (ii) consolidate all public entity elections to the  date
     5  of  the  November  general  election or another date upon which multiple
     6  public entity elections may be consolidated.
     7    § 2. The commission shall consist of nine members, each to serve for a
     8  term of two years, to be forthwith appointed as follows:  two  shall  be
     9  appointed by the temporary president of the senate and one by the minor-
    10  ity  leader  of the senate; two shall be appointed by the speaker of the
    11  assembly and one by the minority leader of the assembly; three shall  be
    12  appointed  by the governor. No more than four appointees shall be legis-
    13  lators.  By a majority vote, the commission shall  designate  the  chair
    14  and vice chair from among the appointees to the commission. Vacancies in
    15  the  membership of the commission and among its officers shall be filled
    16  in the manner provided for original appointments.
    17    § 3. The commission may employ and at pleasure remove  such  personnel
    18  as  it  may  deem necessary for the performance of its functions and fix
    19  their compensation within the amounts made available therefor.
    20    § 4. The commission may meet within and without the state, shall  hold
    21  public  hearings, and shall have all the powers of a legislative commit-
    22  tee pursuant to the legislative law.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03953-02-7
        A. 4310                             2
     1    § 5. The members of the commission shall receive no  compensation  for
     2  their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
     3  incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
     4    §  6. To the maximum extent feasible, the commission shall be entitled
     5  to request and receive and shall  utilize  and  be  provided  with  such
     6  facilities,  resources,  and  data  of  any court, department, division,
     7  board, bureau, commission, or agency  of  the  state  or  any  political
     8  subdivision  thereof  as it may reasonably request to properly carry out
     9  its powers and duties hereunder.
    10    § 7. The commission shall make a preliminary report  to  the  governor
    11  and  the legislature of its findings, conclusions and recommendation not
    12  later than December 31, 2018 and a final report of its findings, conclu-
    13  sions and recommendations not later  than  April  30,  2019,  and  shall
    14  submit  with its report such legislative proposals as it deems necessary
    15  to implement its recommendations.
    16    § 8. The sum of seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000.00), or
    17  so much thereof as may be  necessary,  is  hereby  appropriated  to  the
    18  temporary commission on consolidating the conduct of municipal elections
    19  by  boards  of  elections out of any moneys in the state treasury in the
    20  general fund, to the credit of the state purposes account, not otherwise
    21  appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose of  carry-
    22  ing  out the provisions of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the
    23  audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified  or  approved
    24  by the chair of the temporary commission established by this act.
    25    § 9. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire on May 1,
    26  2019,  when  upon  such  date the provisions of this act shall be deemed
    27  repealed.