New York A 2521: Prohibits the sale or use of polystyrene as a packing material

Bill Text

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A02521 Summary:

BILL NOA02521 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORColton

&nbsp

COSPNSRRivera, Williams, De Los Santos

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add §3-505, El L

&nbsp

Provides for bilingual voting materials.

Go to top A02521 Actions:

BILL NOA02521 

&nbsp

01/17/2025referred to election law

01/07/2026referred to election law

Go to topA02521 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA02521 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA02521 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 2521

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 17, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. COLTON, RIVERA, WILLIAMS, DE LOS SANTOS -- read
 once and referred to the Committee on Election Law

 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to providing bilingual
 voting materials

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration of policy. The legis-
 2 lature finds that, through the use of various practices and procedures,
 3 citizens of language minorities have been effectively excluded from
 4 participation in the electoral process. Among other factors, the denial
 5 of the right to vote of such minority group citizens is ordinarily
 6 directly related to the unequal educational opportunities afforded them
 7 resulting in high illiteracy and low voting participation. The legisla-
 8 ture declares that, in order to enforce the guarantees of the United
 9 States Constitution, it is necessary to eliminate such discrimination by
 10 prohibiting these practices, and by prescribing other remedial devices.
 11 § 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-505 to read
 12 as follows:
 13 § 3-505. Bilingual voting materials requirement. 1. Generally. Before
 14 August sixth, two thousand twenty-six, no covered state or political
 15 subdivision shall provide voting materials only in the English language.
 16 2. Covered states and political subdivisions. (a) Generally. A state
 17 or political subdivision is a covered state or political subdivision for
 18 the purposes of this section if the director of the census determines,
 19 based on census data, that:
 20 (1) more than five percent of the citizens of voting age of such state
 21 or political subdivision are members of a single language minority and
 22 are limited-English proficient; or
 23 (2) more than ten thousand of the citizens of voting age of such poli-
 24 tical subdivision are members of a single language minority and are
 25 limited-English proficient.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03907-01-5

 A. 2521 2

 1 (b) Exception. The prohibitions of this section do not apply in any
 2 political subdivision that has less than five percent voting age limit-
 3 ed-English proficient citizens of each language minority which comprises
 4 over five percent of the statewide limited-English proficient population
 5 of voting age citizens, unless the political subdivision is a covered
 6 political subdivision independently from its state.
 7 3. Definitions. As used in this section:
 8 (a) The term "voting materials" means registration or voting notices,
 9 forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or information
 10 relating to the electoral process, including ballots;
 11 (b) The term "limited-English proficient" means unable to speak or
 12 understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral
 13 process;
 14 (c) The term "citizens" means citizens of the United States; and
 15 (d) The term "illiteracy" means the failure to complete the fifth
 16 primary grade.
 17 4. Special rule. The determinations of the director of the census
 18 under this section shall be effective upon publication in the Federal
 19 Register and shall not be subject to review in any court.
 20 5. Requirement of voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or
 21 other materials and ballots in minority language. Whenever any state or
 22 political subdivision subject to the prohibition of this section
 23 provides any registration or voting notices, forms, instructions,
 24 assistance, or other materials or information relati