What's happening
This bill amends the fee structure for issuing birth and death records, allowing certain counties and cities to set their own fees.
Why it matters
Empowers certain counties and cities. (Chemung, Monroe, Onondaga, Tompkins, Oswego, and Albany) to set their own fees for birth and death records, giving local governments more control over their vital records revenue and potentially allowing fees to better reflect local administrative costs.
May lead to different fees by location. , meaning residents in these specified areas could pay more or less than the standard $10, depending on how local authorities set rates—potentially affecting affordability and access for individuals needing these documents.
Aligns local fee limits with state standards. , as the maximum fee that these counties and cities can set cannot exceed the amount charged by the state health commissioner, providing a cap to prevent excessive charges while still allowing flexibility.
Could impact local budgets and services. by allowing local governments to adjust fees in response to their fiscal needs or cost structures, possibly supporting better funding for health department operations or related services.
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Who cares
Albany Common Council
The bill would authorize the council to set fees for birth and death records up to the amount charged by the state commissioner of health.
Applicants for Albany birth and death records
Applicants who do not qualify for a fee exemption could pay a locally set fee instead of the statutory $10 fee.
Albany registrar of vital statistics
The registrar would charge the locally established fee for certifications, certified copies, certified transcripts and certifications that a search found no record.
Applicants using records for school entrance, public relief or veterans benefits
The bill would retain existing fee exemptions for these and other specified uses.
Headline styles
Let Albany Set Vital Record Fees
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by S987
- Advanced to third reading cal.531
- Reported
- Reported referred to ways and means
- 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.
Albany Sets Vital Records Fees
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Neil D. Breslin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6463
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 7, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. FAHY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the fee charged for the issuance of birth and death records
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 4173 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 524 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
3. (a) The registrar shall be entitled to a fee of ten dollars[, except in the county of Chemung and the county of Monroe and the county of Onondaga and the county of Tompkins whereby such fee shall be set by the county health commissioner and in the city of Oswego whereby such fee shall be set by the Oswego common council, up to the amount charged by the commissioner as prescribed in subdivision two of section fortyone hundred seventy-four of this title] for each certification of birth or death or for each certified copy or certified transcript of any record of a birth or of a death or for a certification that a search discloses no record of a birth or of a death, furnished by him to an applicant, except that no fee shall be charged for a search, certification of birth or death or certified copy or certified transcript of a birth or a death record to be used for school entrance, employment certificate or for purposes of public relief or government compensation or when required by the veterans administration to be used in determining the eligibility of any person to participate in the benefits made available by the veterans administration, provided, however, that if such registrar is a city clerk, town clerk or village clerk, he shall collect such fees for and on behalf of the city, town or village in which he serves, provided, however, that an amount equivalent to the sum of such fees shall be paid at least monthly by such city, town or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01084-01-9
A. 6463 2
village to such city clerk, town clerk or village clerk entitled to receive fees as a registrar of vital statistics.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subdivision, in the following county jurisdictions the fee shall be set by the county health commissioner: Chemung, Monroe, Onondaga, Tompkins; and in the following local jurisdictions the fee shall be set by the local legislative body: city of Oswego, city of Albany. In such jurisdictions, the fee may be set up to the amount charged by the commissioner as prescribed in subdivision two of section forty-one hundred seventy-four of this title.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.