Track MENA Demographics Separately

Section 1. Section 170-h of the executive law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the executive law relating to the collection of certain demographic information by certain state agencies, boards, departments and commissions, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6584-C and A. 6219-B, is amended to read as follows:

§ 170-h. Additional collection of demographic information. 1. Every state agency, board, department, or commission that directly collects demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of residents of the state of New York shall use separate collection categories and tabulations for the [White group] following Middle Eastern and North African groups in New York state[, including the following Middle Eastern or North African groups in New York state]:

(a) Each major North African (NA) group[, including, but not limited to,] shall include Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian, Sudanese, Tunisian, and Libyan; and

(b) Each major Middle Eastern (ME) group[, including, but not limited to,] shall include Yemeni, Iranian, Palestinian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Israeli, Jordanian, Syrian, Armenian, and Saudi; and

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD02855-01-5

(c) [Other Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) groups, including, but not limited to, transnational indigenous MENA communities like Amazigh and Syriac people] Collection categories shall include a category for other Middle Eastern or North African groups.

2. [Every state agency, board, department, or commission that directly collects demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of residents of the state of New York shall allow multiple collection categories to be selected.

3.] The data collected pursuant to the different collection categories and tabulations described in subdivision one of this section, to the degree that the data quality is sufficient, shall be included in every demographic report on ancestry or ethnic origins of residents of the state of New York by the state agency, board, department, or commission published or released on or after [December] January first, two thousand [twenty-five; provided, however, that for the department of labor, division of criminal justice services, office of mental health and office of temporary and disability assistance such requirements shall be effective July first, two thousand twenty-six] twenty-seven. The data shall be made available to the public in accordance with state and federal law, except for personal identifying information, which shall be deemed confidential, by posting the data on the internet web site of the agency, board, department, or commission on or before [December] January first, two thousand [twenty-five] twenty-seven, and annually thereafter[; provided, however, that for the department of labor, division of criminal justice services, office of mental health and office of temporary and disability assistance such requirements shall be effective July first, two thousand twenty-six]. If the data quality is determined to be insufficient for publication, an explanation of the problem with the data quality shall be included in any report or publication made available to the public. This subdivision shall not be construed to prevent any other state agency from posting data collected pursuant to subdivision one of this section on the agency's internet web site, in the manner prescribed by this section.

[4. The requirements of this section shall not apply to the department of labor, the division of criminal justice services, the office of mental health or the office of temporary and disability assistance until two years after this section shall have become a law.]

3. A state agency, board, or commission that cannot comply with the requirements of this section shall, at least sixty days before the applicable deadline, post publicly on its web site a written progress report that describes with specificity the steps the agency, board, or commission has taken to comply with this section, the impediments that prevented compliance, the efforts undertaken by the agency, board, or commission to come into compliance, and an estimated timeframe for compliance. The written report shall be updated every six months from the date of the original posting.

§ 2. Section 2 of a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the executive law relating to the collection of certain demographic information by certain state agencies, boards, departments and commissions, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6584-C and A. 6219-B, is amended to read as follows:

§ 2. This act shall take effect [on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law] July 1, 2026. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided however, that section one of this act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the executive law relating to the collection of certain demographic information by certain state agencies, boards, departments and commissions, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6584-C and A. 6219-B, takes effect.