APG Member Action Needed: Protect Access to New York Vital Records

1 February 2025

As members may already be aware, vital records access in New York State is under threat. Part U of the proposed New York State Health Budget seeks to severely limit access to vital records, and APG needs our members’ help to oppose the bill. You can read the full bill text here, and see APG's detailed testimony on the Advocacy page of our website.

The legislation proposes to “Digitize Genealogical Records,” but instead of improving access, it essentially shuts it down by:

Prolonging embargo periods: The bill introduces some of the strictest restrictions in the nation—125 years for births, 75 years for deaths, and 100 years for marriages.
Eliminating public indices of records: The Department of Health (DOH) would no longer be required to maintain birth and death indices.
Increasing fees astronomically: The cost to request records would increase from $22 to $95 per record.

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) has also developed a landing page with resources and general talking points about how to submit comments.

What you can do:

If you reside in the state of New York, contact your State Senator and Assembly Person as soon as possible.
Send your representatives your testimony focusing on the specific consequences to your businesses, your families and your clients if this proposal becomes law. Personal emails and phone calls are incredibly effective. If possible, request a meeting to discuss these issues in further depth! Find your representatives' information here and here. Some members have already requested meetings with their legislators, and the more opposition we show them, the more likely it is that this bill could be removed from the budget.

Options available to all Members:

Submit Written Testimony before 11 February
Submit testimony to the legislature. Email your personal written statement to both wamchair@nyassembly.gov and financechair@nysenate.gov using the subject line “Written Testimony for Joint Legislative Public Hearing Health/Medicaid Regarding Access to NYS Vital Records” no later than 11 February 2025, at 5 p.m. EST. Even if you are not a New York State resident, you are still allowed to submit testimony. If you are a New York State resident, please cc Governor Kathy Hochul on your letter at Governor.Hochul@exec.ny.gov.
Share This Issue Widely - Today
Inform your colleagues, local societies, and anyone invested in the preservation of historical records. Ensure that they reach out to their representatives and submit testimony as well! The broader our collective voice, the greater our impact.

If this legislation passes, New York will not only have one of the most restrictive systems in the United States, but its passage could also set a harmful precedent for other states. Our livelihoods depend on being able to obtain documentation like this. Together, we can fight to keep these records accessible and ensure that transparency and historical preservation remain a priority.

If you would like to be more involved in APG's advocacy or have any questions about how to be involved with this issue, please contact advocacy@apgen.org.