What's happening
This bill extends the deadline to register a live birth in New York from five days to fifteen days after birth.
Why it matters
Gives parents and birth attendants more time to file paperwork. Extending the deadline from five to fifteen days may reduce stress for new parents and those assisting with home births, especially in cases where immediate filing is difficult due to health, logistical, or administrative reasons.
May improve accuracy and completeness of birth records. With more time to gather required information, families and institutions might be better able to ensure that the details on birth certificates are accurate and complete, potentially reducing errors or omissions.
Could affect access to newborn services and documentation. Since birth certificates are often needed for health insurance, government benefits, and other services, the longer filing window could delay access if families wait the full fifteen days, but also may accommodate those facing barriers to quick filing.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Extend Birth Registration Deadline
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to health
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1884
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Print number 4991a
- Amend and recommit to health
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Extend Birth Registration Deadline
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Stacey Pheffer Amato
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4991--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 3, 2017
Introduced by Sens. HELMING, FELDER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the registration of live births
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 4130 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 506 of the laws of 1955, is amended to read as follows:
2. The birth of each child born alive in this state shall be registered within [five] fifteen days after the date of birth by filing with the registrar of the district in which the birth occurred a certificate of such birth, which certificate shall be upon the form prescribed therefor by the commissioner.
§ 2. Subdivision 4 of section 4130 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 884 of the laws of 1972, is amended to read as follows:
4. In each case where there was no physician or nurse-midwife in attendance upon the birth, it shall be the duty of the father or mother of the child, the householder or owner of the premises where the birth occurred, or the director or person in charge of the public or private institution where the birth occurred, each in the order named, within [five] fifteen days after the date of such birth, to report to the local registrar the fact of such birth and to file said certificate.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10227-02-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the registration of live births
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to extend the amount of days to file a birth certificate after a live birth to fifteen (15).
Summary of provisions
Sections 1 and 2 amend Subdivisions 2 and 4 of Section 4130 of the Public Health Law are amended to require that a live birth be registered within 15 days after the date of birth.
Section 3 sets an immediate effective date.
Justification
After giving birth, the recovery period for mothers can range from a few days to a couple weeks if there are complications. Current law requires that a newborn's birth certificate be authorized five days after giving birth, but in some cases, that may not be enough time. For some mothers, this can be a hardship if there are complications after the birth or the mother may not be able to file a birth certificate in the 5-day period.
The mother of a newborn should focus on recovering not worrying about the short period they have to file a birth certificate. Giving birth can be stressful and unpredictable. Extending the period to file a birth certificate would help to reduce some of that stress, especially in situations when complications may arise.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.