Assembly Bill A9025

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9025
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             September 5, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BLUMENCRANZ -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN ACT to amend the family court act  and  the  public  health  law,  in
   relation  to ensuring the timely verification, transmission, and proc-
   essing of amended birth certificates for children born through  surro-
   gacy  or  adoption,  and  to  establish  safeguards  against denial of
   healthcare coverage pending the issuance of a social security number
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 "Madison's Law".
   § 2. Legislative intent. The legislature  hereby  finds  and  declares
 that children born through surrogacy or adoption face unnecessary delays
 in  obtaining  amended birth certificates and subsequent social security
 numbers and/or federal identification due  to  bureaucratic  inefficien-
 cies.  These delays jeopardize access to healthcare, prevent travel, and
 impose  undue hardship on families. It is the policy of the state of New
 York to ensure that no child is left without identity documentation  due
 to administrative backlogs.
   §  3.  The family court act is amended by adding a new section 581-208
 to read as follows:
   § 581-208. TIMELY  VERIFICATION  AND  TRANSMISSION  OF  AMENDED  BIRTH
 CERTIFICATES.  1.  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH SHALL VERIFY AND TRANSMIT
 AMENDED BIRTH CERTIFICATES ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE FOR  CHILDREN
 BORN  THROUGH  SURROGACY OR ADOPTION TO RELEVANT STATE AND FEDERAL AGEN-
 CIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE  SOCIAL  SECURITY  ADMINISTRATION
 AND  THE  STATE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, WITHIN FIFTEEN DAYS OF
 ISSUANCE OF ANY REQUEST FOR VERIFICATION.
   2. AMENDED BIRTH CERTIFICATES LINKED TO SURROGACY  OR  ADOPTION  SHALL
 RECEIVE  PRIORITY HANDLING, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHALL ESTABLISH
 PROCEDURES TO EXPEDITE SUCH VERIFICATION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13647-01-5
              

 A. 9025                             2
 
   3. NO INSURER AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE  SHALL  COMMENCE
 COLLECTION PROCEEDINGS AGAINST A PARENT OR GUARDIAN FOR MEDICAL EXPENSES
 INCURRED ON BEHALF OF A NEWBORN PENDING THE ISSUANCE OF A SOCIAL SECURI-
 TY  NUMBER, PROVIDED THAT PROOF OF BIRTH OR AN AMENDED BIRTH CERTIFICATE
 HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.
   4.  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF HEALTH SHALL PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND REGU-
 LATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   § 4. Section 2599-cc of the public health law is amended by adding two
 new subdivisions 3 and 4 to read as follows:
   3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH A SPECIAL LIAISON UNIT WITHIN  THE
 DEPARTMENT  TO  ASSIST  FAMILIES  OF  CHILDREN BORN THROUGH SURROGACY OR
 ADOPTION IN NAVIGATING AMENDED BIRTH CERTIFICATE PROCESSING AND  RELATED
 DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS. SUCH UNIT SHALL:
   (A) ENSURE THAT AMENDED BIRTH CERTIFICATES ARE TRANSMITTED TO RELEVANT
 AGENCIES WITHIN THE TIMEFRAMES SET FORTH IN SECTION 581-208 OF THE FAMI-
 LY COURT ACT;
   (B)  PROVIDE  FAMILIES  WITH REAL-TIME UPDATES REGARDING THE STATUS OF
 AMENDED BIRTH CERTIFICATE PROCESSING; AND
   (C) COORDINATE DIRECTLY WITH STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE
 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AND THE  STATE  DEPARTMENT  OF  FINANCIAL
 SERVICES, TO EXPEDITE VERIFICATION AND PREVENT UNDUE DELAYS.
   4.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL FURTHER DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN AN ELECTRONIC
 VERIFICATION SYSTEM THAT ENABLES RELEVANT STATE  AND  FEDERAL  AGENCIES,
 INCLUDING  BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AND THE
 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, TO ACCESS AND CONFIRM AMENDED  BIRTH  CERTIFICATES
 SECURELY  AND  EFFICIENTLY.  SUCH  SYSTEM SHALL BE DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE
 PAPER-BASED DELAYS AND ENSURE TIMELY INTERAGENCY COMMUNICATION.
   § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
 ment  and/or  repeal  of any rule or regulation necessary for the timely
 implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized  to  be
 made and completed by the commissioner of health.