NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7782A

Senate Bill S7782A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires the department of health to enter into a contract for the digitalization and indexing of certain vital records

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - Passed Senate & Assembly

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 13, 2025	returned to senate passed assembly ordered to third reading rules cal.750 substituted for a8314a
Jun 12, 2025	referred to ways and means delivered to assembly passed senate
Jun 04, 2025	amended on third reading 7782a
May 22, 2025	advanced to third reading
May 21, 2025	2nd report cal.
May 20, 2025	1st report cal.1268
May 06, 2025	referred to health

Votes

- Jun 12, 2025 - Floor Vote
  S7782A
  
  50
  
  Aye
  
  9
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  4
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 12, 2025
      
      aye (50)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Bailey
      
      Baskin
      
      Borrello
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Bynoe
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Cooney
      
      Fahy
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Martinez
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      O'Mara
      
      Oberacker
      
      Ortt
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Ryan
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Walczyk
      
      Webb
      
      Weber
      
      nay (9)
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Chan
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Martins
      
      Rhoads
      
      Stec
      
      Tedisco
      
      Weik
      
      excused (4)
      
      Murray
      
      Myrie
      
      Ramos
      
      Sutton
      
      The following Member(s) participated via videoconferencing: Brouk
  May 20, 2025 - Health Committee Vote
  S7782A
  
  10
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  3
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Health Committee Vote: May 20, 2025
      
      aye (10)
      
      Ashby
      
      Brouk
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Myrie
      
      Parker
      
      Rivera
      
      Ryan
      
      Webb
      
      aye wr (3)
      
      Gallivan
      
      Rhoads
      
      Stec
      
      excused (1)
      
      Martins

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2025-S7782 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8314
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Add §4180, amd §4174, Pub Health L

2025-S7782 - Summary

Requires the department of health to enter into a contract with an entity experienced in maintaining genealogical research databases for the digitalization and indexing of certain vital records.

2025-S7782 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7782

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the
department of health to enter into a contract for the digitalization and
indexing of certain vital records

 
PURPOSE:

To modernize and improve public access to New York State's genealogical
vital records by requiring the Department of Health to partner with a
qualified entity to digitize and maintain an online database of such
records at no cost to the state.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Adds a new section 4180 to the Public Health Law. Adds defi-
nitions of "vital records index" and "qualified entity." States that DOH
shall enter into a long-term contract with a qualified entity to create
and maintain an online genealogical research database of images of New

York state birth, marriage, dissolution of marriage, and death certif-
icates at no direct cost to the state, in exchange for allowing the
qualified entity to also provide such database to its subscribers and
customers.

Section 2: Amends Subdivision 3 of section 4174 of the Public Health
Law. States that the commissioner of DOH shall have the authority to
determine the means and methods by which genealogical records shall be
released.

Section 3: Sets effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State holds one of the richest repositories of historical
records in the country, including vital records such as birth, death,
marriage, and dissolution of marriage certificates. These records are
invaluable for genealogical research, historical documentation, family
history research, and personal legal matters. Yet for the thousands of
New Yorkers seeking access to these public documents, the process has
become unnecessarily burdensome and deeply frustrating.

The current system is not just outdated-it is fundamentally broken. As
of March 2025, the backlog of genealogical records requests had grown to
over 11,800, with many applicants waiting more than three years for a
response to their record request. Despite paying a $22 processing fee,
many individuals find themselves caught in a prolonged and opaque wait-
ing game. In contrast, other states routinely process similar requests
in a matter of weeks.

This legislation seeks to modernize the way these records are preserved
and accessed by requiring the Department of Health to partner with a
qualified entity to digitize and index these records, while allowing the
public to access them efficiently and without additional cost to the
state. By contracting with a qualified genealogical organization to
digitize and maintain an online database of New York's vital records,
the state can ensure that these records are accessible, searchable, and
preserved, without adding cost to taxpayers. This will dramatically
shorten wait times, improve access for researchers and families alike,
and uphold the state's responsibility to deliver timely, reliable public
services.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
tive date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
effective date.

2025-S7782 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7782
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law,  in  relation  to  requiring  the
   department  of  health to enter into a contract for the digitalization
   and indexing of certain vital records

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
 4180 to read as follows:
   § 4180. VITAL RECORDS DIGITALIZATION. 1.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 SECTION, THE TERM:
   (A)  "VITAL  RECORDS  INDEX"  OR  "INDEX"  SHALL MEAN A SYSTEMATICALLY
 ORGANIZED LISTING, COMPILATION, OR DATABASE DERIVED FROM ORIGINAL  VITAL
 RECORDS  MAINTAINED  BY  THE  STATE  LOCAL REGISTRARS, INCLUDING BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO VITAL RECORDS RELATING TO BIRTH, DEATH, MARRIAGE, AND DISSOL-
 UTION OF MARRIAGE, WHICH INCLUDES AT A MINIMUM, THE NAMES OF ANY  REGIS-
 TRANTS,  THE  DATE  AND  LOCATION  OF  THE EVENT'S REGISTRATION, AND ANY
 ASSIGNED IDENTIFYING REFERENCE NUMBERS.
   (B) "QUALIFIED ENTITY" SHALL MEAN A NATURAL  PERSON,  FIRM,  ORGANIZA-
 TION, PARTNERSHIP, ASSOCIATION, CORPORATION, OR ANY OTHER ENTITY EXPERI-
 ENCED IN MAINTAINING GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH DATABASES.
   2.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENTER INTO A LONG-TERM CONTRACT WITH A QUALI-
 FIED ENTITY TO CREATE,  MAINTAIN,  AND  UPDATE  AN  ONLINE  GENEALOGICAL
 RESEARCH  DATABASE  OF IMAGES OF NEW YORK STATE BIRTH, MARRIAGE, DISSOL-
 UTION OF MARRIAGE, AND DEATH CERTIFICATES  AT  NO  DIRECT  COST  TO  THE
 STATE,  IN  EXCHANGE  FOR  ALLOWING THE QUALIFIED ENTITY TO ALSO PROVIDE
 SUCH DATABASE TO ITS SUBSCRIBERS AND  CUSTOMERS.  SUCH  ONLINE  DATABASE
 SHALL  BE  DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED TO HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF ALLOWING A
 VITAL RECORDS INDEX OF BIRTH, MARRIAGE,  DISSOLUTION  OF  MARRIAGE,  AND
 DEATH  CERTIFICATES  TO  BE  LINKED TO A DIGITAL IMAGE OF THE UNDERLYING
 ORIGINAL BIRTH, MARRIAGE, DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, OR DEATH RECORD  ONCE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11667-02-5

 S. 7782                             2
 
 ANY  SUCH  UNDERLYING RECORD HAS BECOME PUBLIC INFORMATION UNDER SECTION
 FORTY-ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE, AND THE ONLINE  GENEALOGI-
 CAL  RESEARCH  DATABASE  SHALL  BE  DESIGNED  TO ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO
 CREATE  AND  ACTIVATE  SUCH  LINKS  TO  DIGITAL  IMAGES  OF THE ORIGINAL
 RECORDS. ANY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS APPEARING ON SUCH RECORDS SHALL  BE
 REDACTED  FROM  THE  DIGITAL  IMAGES  PROVIDED  TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH MAY
 INCLUDE BULK REDACTION OF SOCIAL SECURITY FIELDS  FROM  THE  IMAGES  VIA
 AUTOMATED  METHODS. SUCH INDEXES SHALL BE A PUBLIC RECORD AND SUBJECT TO
 THE STATE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW UNDER ARTICLE  SIX  OF  THE  PUBLIC
 OFFICERS LAW.
   §  2.  Subdivision  3  of  section  4174  of the public health law, as
 amended by section 2 of part W-2 of chapter 62 of the laws of  2003,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   3. (A) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY CONTRARY PROVISION OF LAW, THE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THE MEANS AND METHODS BY WHICH THE
 FOLLOWING GENEALOGICAL RECORDS SHALL BE RELEASED TO AN APPLICANT MEETING
 THE  QUALIFICATIONS  TO RECEIVE THE RELEVANT RECORD TYPE AS DESCRIBED IN
 THIS SECTION OR IN ARTICLE THREE OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS  LAW:  (A)  A
 RECORD  OF  BIRTH THAT HAS BEEN ON FILE FOR AT LEAST SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS;
 (B) A RECORD OF MARRIAGE, DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE,  OR  DEATH  THAT  HAS
 BEEN  ON  FILE  FOR  AT  LEAST  FIFTY YEARS; OR (C) ANY RECORD OF BIRTH,
 MARRIAGE, DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, OR DEATH FOR WHICH THE REQUESTER IS A
 LINEAL OR COLLATERAL DESCENDANT.
   (B) For any search of the files and records conducted  for  authorized
 genealogical  or  research  purposes,  the  commissioner  or  any person
 authorized by [him] THE COMMISSIONER  shall  be  entitled  to,  and  the
 applicant shall pay, a fee of twenty dollars for each hour or fractional
 part  of  an  hour of time of search, together with a fee of two dollars
 for each uncertified COPY OR ABSTRACT OF SUCH RECORD  REQUESTED  BY  THE
 APPLICANT OR FOR A CERTIFICATION THAT A SEARCH DISCLOSES NO RECORD.
   §  3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
 rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act  on  its
 effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
 effective date.

2025-S7782A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8314
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Add §4180, amd §4174, Pub Health L

2025-S7782A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the department of health to enter into a contract with an entity experienced in maintaining genealogical research databases for the digitalization and indexing of certain vital records.

2025-S7782A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7782A

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the
department of health to enter into a contract for the digitalization and
indexing of certain vital records

 
PURPOSE:

To modernize and improve public access to New York State's genealogical
vital records by requiring the Department of Health to partner with a
qualified entity to digitize and maintain an online database of such
records at no cost to the state.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Adds a new section 4180 to the Public Health Law. Adds defi-
nitions of "vital records index" and "qualified entity." States that DOH
shall enter into a contract no longer than 7 years in length with a
qualified entity to create and maintain an online genealogical research

database of images of New York state birth, marriage, dissolution of
marriage, and death certificates at no direct cost to the state, in
exchange for allowing the qualified entity to also provide such database
to its subscribers and customers.

Section 2: Amends Subdivision 3 of section 4174 of the Public Health
Law. This section grants the commissioner authority to determine how
certain genealogical records are released to qualified applicants. It
allows access to birth records that are at least 75 years old, and
marriage, divorce, or death records that are at least 50 years old.
Additionally, it permits access to any such records if the requester is
a lineal or collateral descendant.

Section 3: This section guarantees that the employment rights, benefits,
and protections of current public employees involved in work related to
the act will be fully preserved. It prohibits any job displacement,
reduction in hours, wages, or benefits, and ensures that existing
collective bargaining agreements and union relationships remain
unchanged.

Section 4: Sets effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State holds one of the richest repositories of historical
records in the country, including vital records such as birth, death,
marriage, and dissolution of marriage certificates. These records are
invaluable for genealogical research, historical documentation, family
history research, and personal legal matters. Yet for the thousands of
New Yorkers seeking access to these public documents, the process has
become unnecessarily burdensome and deeply frustrating.

The current system is not just outdated-it is fundamentally broken. As
of March 2025, the backlog of genealogical records requests had grown to
over 11,800, with many applicants waiting more than three years for a
response to their record request. Despite paying a $22 processing fee,
many individuals find themselves caught in a prolonged and opaque wait-
ing game. In contrast, other states routinely process similar requests
in a matter of weeks.

This legislation seeks to modernize the way these records are preserved
and accessed by requiring the Department of Health to partner with a
qualified entity to digitize and index these records, while allowing the
public to access them efficiently and without additional cost to the
state. By contracting with a qualified genealogical organization to
digitize and maintain an online database of New York's vital records,
the state can ensure that these records are accessible, searchable, and
preserved, without adding cost to taxpayers. This will dramatically
shorten wait times, improve access for researchers and families alike,
and uphold the state's responsibility to deliver timely, reliable public
services.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S7782A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7782--A
     Cal. No. 1268
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health -- reported favora-
   bly from said committee, ordered to first and second  report,  ordered
   to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place
   in the order of third reading

 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public health law, in relation to requiring the
   department of health to enter into a contract for  the  digitalization
   and indexing of certain vital records
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding  a  new  section
 4180 to read as follows:
   §  4180.  VITAL  RECORDS  DIGITALIZATION.  1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION, THE TERM:
   (A) "VITAL RECORDS INDEX"  OR  "INDEX"  SHALL  MEAN  A  SYSTEMATICALLY
 ORGANIZED  LISTING, COMPILATION, OR DATABASE DERIVED FROM ORIGINAL VITAL
 RECORDS MAINTAINED BY THE STATE  LOCAL  REGISTRARS,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED TO VITAL RECORDS RELATING TO BIRTH, DEATH, MARRIAGE, AND DISSOL-
 UTION  OF MARRIAGE, WHICH INCLUDES AT A MINIMUM, THE NAMES OF ANY REGIS-
 TRANTS, THE DATE AND LOCATION  OF  THE  EVENT'S  REGISTRATION,  AND  ANY
 ASSIGNED IDENTIFYING REFERENCE NUMBERS.
   (B)  "QUALIFIED  ENTITY"  SHALL MEAN A NATURAL PERSON, FIRM, ORGANIZA-
 TION, PARTNERSHIP, ASSOCIATION, CORPORATION, OR ANY OTHER ENTITY EXPERI-
 ENCED IN MAINTAINING GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH DATABASES.
   2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WHICH SHALL BE NO LONGER
 THAN SEVEN YEARS IN LENGTH WITH A QUALIFIED ENTITY TO CREATE,  MAINTAIN,
 AND  UPDATE  AN  ONLINE  GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH DATABASE OF IMAGES OF NEW
 YORK STATE BIRTH, MARRIAGE, DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, AND  DEATH  CERTIF-
 ICATES  AT  NO  DIRECT  COST  TO THE STATE, IN EXCHANGE FOR ALLOWING THE
 QUALIFIED ENTITY TO ALSO PROVIDE SUCH DATABASE TO  ITS  SUBSCRIBERS  AND
 CUSTOMERS.  SUCH  ONLINE  DATABASE  SHALL BE DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD11667-05-5
 S. 7782--A                          2
 
 HAVE THE  CAPABILITY  OF  ALLOWING  A  VITAL  RECORDS  INDEX  OF  BIRTH,
 MARRIAGE,  DISSOLUTION  OF MARRIAGE, AND DEATH CERTIFICATES TO BE LINKED
 TO A DIGITAL IMAGE OF THE UNDERLYING ORIGINAL BIRTH,  MARRIAGE,  DISSOL-
 UTION  OF  MARRIAGE, OR DEATH RECORD ONCE ANY SUCH UNDERLYING RECORD HAS
 BECOME PUBLIC INFORMATION UNDER SECTION FORTY-ONE  HUNDRED  SEVENTY-FOUR
 OF  THIS  TITLE,  AND THE ONLINE GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH DATABASE SHALL BE
 DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE AND ACTIVATE  SUCH  LINKS  TO
 DIGITAL  IMAGES  OF  THE  ORIGINAL  RECORDS. ANY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
 APPEARING ON SUCH RECORDS SHALL BE  REDACTED  FROM  THE  DIGITAL  IMAGES
 PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH MAY INCLUDE BULK REDACTION OF SOCIAL SECU-
 RITY FIELDS FROM THE IMAGES VIA AUTOMATED METHODS. SUCH INDEXES SHALL BE
 A  PUBLIC  RECORD  AND  SUBJECT  TO THE STATE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW
 UNDER ARTICLE SIX OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW.
   § 2. Subdivision 3 of section  4174  of  the  public  health  law,  as
 amended  by  section 2 of part W-2 of chapter 62 of the laws of 2003, is
 amended to read as follows:
   3. (A) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY CONTRARY PROVISION OF LAW, THE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THE MEANS AND METHODS BY WHICH THE
 FOLLOWING GENEALOGICAL RECORDS SHALL BE RELEASED TO AN APPLICANT MEETING
 THE QUALIFICATIONS TO RECEIVE THE RELEVANT RECORD TYPE AS  DESCRIBED  IN
 THIS  SECTION  OR  IN ARTICLE THREE OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW: (1) A
 RECORD OF BIRTH THAT HAS BEEN ON FILE FOR AT LEAST  SEVENTY-FIVE  YEARS;
 (2)  A  RECORD  OF  MARRIAGE, DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, OR DEATH THAT HAS
 BEEN ON FILE FOR AT LEAST FIFTY YEARS;  OR  (3)  ANY  RECORD  OF  BIRTH,
 MARRIAGE, DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, OR DEATH FOR WHICH THE REQUESTER IS A
 LINEAL OR COLLATERAL DESCENDANT.
   (B)  For  any search of the files and records conducted for authorized
 genealogical or  research  purposes,  the  commissioner  or  any  person
 authorized  by  [him]  THE  COMMISSIONER  shall  be entitled to, and the
 applicant shall pay, a fee of twenty dollars for each hour or fractional
 part of an hour of time of search, together with a fee  of  two  dollars
 for  each  uncertified  copy or abstract of such record requested by the
 applicant or for a certification that a search discloses no record.
   § 3. (a) Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary,
 all rights or benefits, including terms and  conditions  of  employment,
 and  protection of civil service and collective bargaining status of all
 existing employees of any state or political subdivision  thereof  which
 currently  performs any work related to this act, or similar work, shall
 be preserved and protected.
   (b) Nothing in this act shall result in the: (1) displacement  of  any
 currently employed worker or loss of position, including but not limited
 to  any partial displacement such as a reduction in the hours of non-ov-
 ertime work, wages, or employment benefits, or result in the  impairment
 of  existing  collective  bargaining  agreements; or (2) transfer of any
 job, duty or function not directly authorized by this act to the  quali-
 fied entity.
   (c)  Nothing  contained  in this act shall be construed to affect: (1)
 the existing rights of employees  pursuant  to  an  existing  collective
 bargaining  agreement;  and  (2) the existing representational relation-
 ships among  employee  organizations  or  the  bargaining  relationships
 between the employer and an employee organization.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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