What's happening
This bill allows anyone to obtain a copy of a death record for genealogical or research purposes, excluding cause of death.
Why it matters
Expands public access to death records. for anyone interested in genealogy or historical research, making it easier to trace family histories or conduct demographic studies without needing to prove a specific relationship or legal interest.
Balances privacy and transparency. by explicitly excluding the cause of death and medical details from these records, protecting sensitive personal and family information while still providing useful data.
May streamline research and reduce administrative hurdles. for historians, genealogists, and academics who often face obstacles obtaining records needed to document family trees, analyze population trends, or study historical events.
Could lead to broader insights about community history and migration patterns. by unlocking more historical data for public analysis, while still respecting the privacy of individuals regarding medical information.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Death Records for Research
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
77
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SCHIM- MINGER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to issuance of a record of death for genealogical or research purposes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 4174 of the public health law is amended by adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) upon request, issue to any applicant, for genealogical or research purposes, a copy or transcript of the record of any death registered under the provisions of this chapter, which shall not include therein the cause of death of the decedent nor the medical certificate;
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01958-01-9
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.