What's happening
This bill allows city clerks in large cities to designate as many staff as needed to perform marriage ceremonies.
Why it matters
Improves access and convenience for couples. By letting city clerks in New York City (and any other similarly large city) designate as many staff as needed to perform marriage ceremonies, couples may experience shorter wait times and more flexibility in scheduling their weddings.
Responds to high demand in populous cities. Large cities often have a high volume of marriage applications. This change allows city clerks to better handle surges in demand, especially during peak seasons or special events.
Increases government efficiency. City clerks can now allocate staff resources according to actual need, rather than being limited by previous restrictions. This could reduce bottlenecks and administrative backlogs related to marriage ceremonies.
Reflects modern workforce realities. By expanding the pool of eligible staff beyond a small, fixed number, the law acknowledges the size and diversity of today’s municipal workforces and the need for operational flexibility.
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Who cares
City clerks in first-class cities with over one million inhabitants
The bill would let them designate any or all deputy city clerks and as many permanent staff members as they deem necessary to perform marriage ceremonies.
Permanent city clerk staff
The bill would remove the four-person cap on permanent staff members designated to perform marriage ceremonies, allowing more staff to take on that role.
Couples seeking city clerk marriage ceremonies
The bill would allow more city clerk staff members to be authorized to officiate their weddings.
Headline styles
Let More Staff Marry Couples
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by S6178
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.516
- Rules report cal.516
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to judiciary
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.
Expand Marriage Officiant Authority
Signed by Governor · Sponsor John Liu
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7776
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 20, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the domestic relations law, in relation to the designation of persons who may perform marriage ceremonies in certain cities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 11-a of the domestic relations law, as amended by chapter 321 of the laws of 1971, is amended to read as follows:
a. The city clerk of a city of the first class of over one million inhabitants may designate in writing any [of his deputies or not more than four] or all of the deputy city clerks and from among the permanent members of [his] the city clerk's staff as many staff members as the city clerk deems necessary to perform marriage ceremonies, which designation shall be in writing and be filed in the office of such city clerk. The day of such filing shall be endorsed on the designation. Any such designation shall be and remain in effect for six months from the filing thereof.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11914-01-9
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.