What's happening
This bill allows city clerks in New York City to designate as many deputy clerks or staff as needed to perform marriage ceremonies.
Why it matters
Expands Access to Marriage Ceremonies. By allowing the city clerk to designate as many deputy clerks or staff members as needed, the bill could make it easier and faster for couples in NYC to schedule and obtain marriage ceremonies, potentially reducing wait times or backlogs.
Administrative Flexibility. The change gives the city clerk much greater discretion to adapt staffing based on demand, which may help handle spikes (such as around holidays or after legal changes) and support efficient public service.
Potential for Increased Revenue. With more staff able to perform ceremonies, the city might increase the number of marriages processed, potentially boosting related municipal revenues from licensing and ceremony fees.
Reflects Modern Urban Needs. Removing the previous cap (of four designees) recognizes the scale and diversity of New York City’s population, updating an old law to better fit the practical realities of serving over one million residents.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
City clerks in first-class cities with over one million residents
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.
Couples seeking city clerk marriage ceremonies
The bill would allow more permanent staff members to be authorized to officiate their ceremonies.
Headline styles
Expand Marriage Officiant Authority
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.712
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Home rule request
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.516
- Substituted for A7776
- Referred to judiciary
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 56–6
- Ordered to third reading cal.1204
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
Show 1 earlier action
- 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.
Let More Staff Marry Couples
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Michael DenDekker
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6178
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 21, 2019
Introduced by Sen. LIU -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the domestic relations law, in relation to the designation of persons who may perform marriage ceremo- nies in certain cities
Purpose or general idea of bill
To allow the New York City clerk to designate additional staff members as he or she deems necessary to officiate marriages.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends the domestic relations law to state that the city clerk may designate in writing any or all of the deputy city clerks or any additional staff members as the clerk deems necessary to perform marriage ceremonies.
Section two relates to the effective date.
Justification
Under current law, the city clerk is authorized to designate only up to four permanent members of his staff to perform marriage ceremonies. However, faced with overwhelming demand, it has not been feasible for the city clerk's office to officiate all these marriages in a timely manner. Limiting the clerk's appointments to four places an undue burden not just on the clerk's office but also on the couples who shouldn't be inconvenienced on such a special day. By granting the clerk the discretion to designate additional staff members as he or she deems necessary, the office can best serve the many couples who wish to seal their love in marriage.
Prior legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.