Requires state and municipal entities that collect demographic data on the ancestry or origins of state residents to utilize a separate collection and tabulation category

1 Co-sponsor

• Liz Krueger

BILL NUMBER:S3325

Title of bill

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state and municipal agencies, authorities, boards and commissions that collect demographic data as to the ancestry or origins of state residents to utilize a separate collection and tabulation category entitled "Asian or Pacific Islander" for the purpose of identifying persons having origins in any of the Far East countries, South East Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands

Purpose

To amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state and municipal agencies, authorities, boards and commissions that collect demographic data as to the ancestry or origins of state residents to utilize a separate collection and tabulation category entitled "Asian or Pacific Islander" for the purpose of identifying persons having origins in any of the Far East countries, South East Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands.

Justification

Oftentimes, agencies omit the Asian or Pacific Islander category when collecting demographics, and are often categorized instead as "Others". Since Asian or Pacific Islanders constitute approximately 7 percent of the State's population and approximately 13 percent of New York City's population, it is difficult to determine whether or not such agencies are identifying the needs of this specific racial demographic, and when categorized as "Others", their needs are left unmet.

For example, in the New York State Department of Health's "The Impact of Oral Disease" report from December 2006, Table VI, titled "Percentage of People who Had Their Teeth Cleaned within the Past Year Aged 18 and Older", Asians are not categorized in the ethnicities, and are therefore listed as "Other". Additionally, in the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' 200$ report on Domestic Homicide in New York State neglected to categorize the victimized Asian population.

This bill only affects agencies that presently already collect demographic data.

Fiscal implications

Senate 2009-10: 8.7665 - Referred to Finance Assembly 2009-10: A.9973 (Meng) Referred to Governmental Operations

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.