S 6343: Establishes the New York state democracy commission to report on certain democracy issues and how to prevent attempts to illegitimately overturn a lawful election on a local, state and federal level.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6343 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 11, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. SANDERS, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance AN ACT to establish the New York state democracy commission; and provid- ing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature finds and declares 2 that the American democracy was under attack on January 6, 2021 in the 3 United States Capitol by insurrectionists attempting to overturn the 4 legal election of Joseph Biden for the United States presidency through 5 violence, intimidation and by other means. There is legitimate concern 6 that this attempt to overthrow our democracy will occur again at the 7 federal, state and local levels. 8 § 2. 1. A temporary state commission, to be known as the New York 9 state democracy commission, hereinafter referred to as the commission, 10 is hereby created to make recommendations and create a report of its 11 findings relating to issues involving: 12 a. the state of democracy in New York state; 13 b. how to protect, strengthen and expand democracy in New York state 14 on the state and local levels; 15 c. how to expand voter registration and voter turnout; 16 d. how to strengthen the integrity of the voting process; 17 e. ways to improve civics education in schools; and 18 f. how to prevent attempts to illegitimately overturn a lawful 19 election on a local, state and federal level taking into account the 20 events that led up to the January 6, 2021 insurrection in the United 21 States Capitol and events thereafter to undermine American democracy. 22 2. a. The commission shall consist of thirteen members, to be 23 appointed as follows: six members shall be appointed by the governor; 24 two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; 25 two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09814-01-5 
 S. 6343 2 1 member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; one 2 member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and 3 one member shall be the attorney general of New York state. The commis- 4 sion shall be chaired by a member appointed by the governor. 5 b. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for 6 their services but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses 7 incurred in the performance of their duties under this act. The commis- 8 sion may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel as it may deem 9 necessary for the performance of its functions and fix their compen- 10 sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor. 11 3. The commission may request and shall receive from any agency in the 12 state and from any subdivision, department, board, bureau, commission, 13 office, agency or other instrumentality of the state or of any political 14 subdivision thereof such facilities, assistance and data as it deems 15 necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its powers and duties 16 and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act. 17 4. The report shall include any recommendations for legislative action 18 as it may deem necessary and appropriate and shall be delivered to the 19 governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the 20 assembly, and posted on the website of the Secretary of State no later 21 than one year after the effective date of this act. The report shall 22 also be posted on the website of the governor. 23 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 24 deemed repealed 2 years after such date.