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A8999Assembly2019-2020 SessionSame asS7196

Clarify Committee Appointment Rules

Official title

“Relates to certificates of acceptance”

Sponsor Sandy GalefAD-95+1 co-sponsorAffects Public Safety & Consumer Affairs
Status
Signed by Governor
Impact
3/10
Low
Outcome
Signed into law

Bill progress

Signed into law

What's happening

This bill changes the law so that individuals appointed, rather than nominated, to election committees must file a certificate of acceptance.

Why it matters

  1. Clarifies legal responsibilities for committee members. By requiring individuals who are *appointed* (not just nominated) to election committees to file a certificate of acceptance, the bill ensures that every member has formally agreed to their role, reducing confusion or disputes about committee membership.

  2. Prevents unintentional or unwanted appointments. The requirement that appointees must actively accept their appointment (or else the appointment is void) helps prevent people from being placed on election committees without their explicit consent.

  3. Strengthens election integrity and accountability. By formalizing the acceptance process for committee roles, the law creates a clear paper trail of who is serving, which can help in resolving challenges or controversies regarding election procedures or committee decisions.

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Who cares

  • Committee-to-receive-notices appointees

    The bill would describe their selection as an appointment rather than a nomination, retaining the requirement to file a signed and acknowledged acceptance or have the appointment voided.

  • Election boards

    The bill would change the terminology governing acceptance certificates while retaining the filing deadline of the fourth day after the last day to file opportunity-to-ballot petitions.

  • Opportunity-to-ballot petition organizers

    The bill would clarify that individuals serving on the committee to receive notices must accept appointments, rather than nominations.

Headline styles

Clarify Committee Appointment Rules

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Sandy Galef

Assembly Member · Assembly District 95

1 Co-sponsor

History

  1. Signed chap.33
  2. Delivered to governor
  3. Returned to assembly
  4. Passed senateVote 61–0
  5. 3rd reading cal.120
  6. Substituted for S7196
  7. Referred to rules
  8. Delivered to senate
  9. Passed assembly
  10. Advanced to third reading cal.378
  11. Reported
  12. Referred to election law

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

S7196Senate

Update Acceptance Certificate Rules

Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Shelley Mayer

Impact 3 · Low0% to pass

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

8999

IN ASSEMBLY

January 9, 2020

Introduced by M. of A. GALEF -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law

AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to certificates of acceptance

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

Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 6-166 of the election law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2019, amending the election law relating to certificates of acceptance, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.5180-A and A.5219, is amended to read as follows:

3. Individuals [nominated] appointed to serve on the committee to receive notices, shall, in a certificate signed and acknowledged by him or her, and filed as provided in this article, accept the [nomination] appointment of the committee, otherwise such [nomination] appointment shall be null and void. All certificates of acceptance shall be filed not later than the fourth day after the last day to file petitions for the opportunity to ballot.

§ 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2019, amending the election law relating to certificates of acceptance, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.5180-A and A.5219, takes effect.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD06037-04-9

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.