AN ACT REQUIRING THE PREPARATION OF CERTAIN BALLOTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding section 40 of chapter 54 of the General Laws, or any other general or special law to the contrary, in federal and state elections the state secretary shall prepare bilingual ballots in English and Chinese, and English and Vietnamese in addition to any other bilingual ballots required by law, in the designated polling places within the city of Boston as defined by the provisions of Paragraphs (9) and (20) of the Memorandum of Agreement and Settlement, dated September 15, 2005, entered in United States of America v. City of Boston, Civil Docket Number 05-11598-WGY.
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding section 58 of the charter of the city of Boston, or any other general or special law to the contrary, in all city of Boston municipal elections the election commission shall cause bilingual ballots in English and Chinese, and English and Vietnamese in addition to any other bilingual ballots required by law, in the designated polling places within the city of Boston as defined by the provisions of Paragraphs (9) and (20) of the Memorandum of Agreement and Settlement, dated September 15, 2005, entered in United States of America v. City of Boston, Civil Docket Number 05-11598-WGY.
SECTION 3. The city of Boston shall provide the state secretary with the number of bilingual Chinese and Vietnamese ballots and the designated polling locations where they are to be used, as well as any other information the secretary may require, no later than July 21, 2006 for the state primary and no later than September 8, 2006, for the state election. For any state or federal election after 2006, no changes to the number of bilingual ballots used in the polling places that have been designated within the city of Boston for the 2006 state election shall be made without the consultation and approval of the secretary of state no later than 60 days before the primary or election in which the changes are to take place.
SECTION 4. If the parties to the Memorandum of Agreement and Settlement dated September 15, 2005 entered in United States of America v. City of Boston, Civil Docket Number 05-11598-WGY seek to make changes in that Agreement, the secretary shall be notified no less than 120 days preceding the election in which the changes are to take place.
SECTION 5. No changes shall be made in the Memorandum of Agreement and Settlement dated September 15, 2005 entered in United States of America v. City of Boston, Civil Docket Number 05-11598-WGY that affect any state or federal elections without the consultation and approval of the state secretary.
SECTION 6. This act is enacted as part of the Memorandum of Agreement and Settlement dated September 15, 2005 entered in United States of America v. City of Boston, Civil Docket Number 05-11598-WGY, and this act shall remain in effect as long as the Memorandum of Agreement and Settlement remains in force and effect.
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved June 15, 2006.