Bill Text: NY A09932 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the right of access to multiple dwelling units and other multiple unit facilities used as a residence, by candidates for elected office and their volunteers for campaigning or registering voters; allows owners or managers of facilities to require identification, set reasonable hours for access, require advance notice and limit the numbers of volunteers allowed.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-27 - referred to election law [A09932 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A09932-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9932 IN ASSEMBLY February 27, 2020 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to access to multiple unit dwellings by candidates and volunteers for the purpose of campaigning or registering voters The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-109 2 to read as follows: 3 § 3-109. Access to multiple unit dwellings by candidates and volun- 4 teers. 1. It is unlawful for a person, either directly or indirectly, to 5 deny access to an apartment house, dormitory, nursing home, manufactured 6 home park, other multiple unit facility used as a residence, or an area 7 in which two or more single-family dwellings are located on private 8 roadways to a candidate who has: 9 (a) organized a campaign committee under applicable federal or state 10 law; 11 (b) filed a financial report as required by section 14-104 of this 12 chapter; or 13 (c) filed a certification of nomination or designation as a candidate 14 for elected office. 15 A candidate granted access under this section shall be allowed to be 16 accompanied by campaign volunteers. 17 2. Access to a facility or area is only required if it is located 18 within the district or area that will be represented by the office to 19 which the candidate seeks election, and the candidate and any accompany- 20 ing campaign volunteers seek access exclusively for the purpose of 21 campaigning for a candidate or registering voters. The candidate must be 22 seeking election to office at the next general or special election to be 23 held for that office. 24 3. A candidate and any accompanying campaign volunteers granted access 25 under this section shall be permitted to leave campaign materials for 26 residents at their doors, except that the manager of a nursing home may EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD15086-01-0A. 9932 2 1 direct that the campaign materials be left at a central location within 2 the facility. The campaign materials must be left in an orderly manner. 3 4. If a facility or area contains multiple buildings, a candidate and 4 accompanying volunteers must be permitted to access more than one build- 5 ing on a single visit, but access is limited to only one building at a 6 time. If multiple candidates are traveling together, each candidate and 7 that candidate's accompanying volunteers are limited to one building at 8 a time, but all of the candidates and accompanying volunteers traveling 9 together shall not be restricted to accessing the same building at the 10 same time. 11 5. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit: 12 (a) denial of admittance into a particular apartment, room, manufac- 13 tured home, or personal residential unit; 14 (b) requiring reasonable and proper identification as a necessary 15 prerequisite to admission to a multiple unit dwelling; 16 (c) in the case of a nursing home or assisted living facility, denial 17 of permission to visit certain persons for valid health reasons; 18 (d) limiting visits by candidates or volunteers accompanied by the 19 candidate to a reasonable number of persons or during reasonable hours; 20 (e) requiring a prior appointment to gain access to the facility; or 21 (f) denial of admittance to or expulsion from a multiple unit dwelling 22 for good cause. 23 6. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.