What's happening
This bill allows individuals to request birth certificates with a physician's name redacted if that physician's medical license was surrendered or revoked.
Why it matters
Empowers individuals and families to distance themselves from discredited medical professionals. If a physician listed on a birth certificate has had their license revoked or surrendered, the affected person or their parent/legal guardian can request a birth certificate omitting that physician’s name, potentially reducing distress or stigma.
Streamlines the process for amending official records. The bill removes the need for a court order to redact a physician’s name, making it easier and faster for individuals to obtain an updated birth certificate.
Responds to concerns about the legacy of medical misconduct. By allowing redaction, the bill acknowledges that individuals should not be permanently associated on official documents with physicians who have lost their medical license due to professional misconduct or other serious reasons.
Establishes clear administrative guidelines. The Department of Health will specify how requests should be made, ensuring a standardized, accessible process for those who want to amend their records.
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Who cares
Adults whose birth records list a physician with a surrendered or revoked license
They or their legal representatives could request a certified copy with the physician’s identity redacted, without a court order.
Parents and legal representatives of minors
They could request the same redaction on a minor’s certified birth record when the listed attending physician’s license has been surrendered or revoked.
New York State Department of Health
The department would have to provide or approve the request process and issue redacted certified copies when the bill’s conditions are met.
Headline styles
Hide Disgraced Doctors' Names
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.165
- Referred to health
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.352
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
92
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the redaction of certain physician's names on birth certificates
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 4134-a to read as follows:
§ 4134-a. Birth certificate; listed physician. 1. When the license to practice medicine of an attending physician listed on a birth record has been surrendered or revoked by the office of professional medical conduct, and upon request by either (i) the person whose birth the record documents, if eighteen years of age or older, or that person's legal representative or (ii) the parent or legal representative of a person under the age of eighteen whose birth the record documents, the department shall issue a certified copy of the birth record with the identity of such physician redacted.
2. Such request shall be made in the form or manner to be provided or approved by the department.
3. Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a court order to authorize the redaction of a physician's name pursuant to this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00672-01-5
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the redaction of certain physician's names on birth certificates
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends the public health law by adding a new section 4134-a providing that when the license of the attending physician listed on a birth certificate has been surrendered or revoked by the office of professional medical conduct and upon request by either the person whose birth the record documents or their legal representative if the person is over the age of eighteen or the parent or legal representative of the person whose birth the record documents if they are under the age of eighteen, the department of health shall issue a certified copy of the birth record with the physician's identity redacted.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
Justification
A patient who has been subjected to abuse and harassment from their physician should not be forced to relive the trauma every time they look at their child's birth certificate. Marissa Hoechstetter brought this gross injustice to light in her fight to redact the name of the doctor who repeatedly sexually assaulted her throughout her pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care. This legislation will ensure patients throughout the state who have endured physician misconduct have the ability to remove the perpetrator's name from their children's birth certificates. Establishing procedures to issue new birth certificates in these cases will prevent further pain and distress caused when these documents main- tain a permanent connection between the patient and their abuser. This bill is an important step towards recognizing the extensive harms of sexual abuse in the medical community and supporting survivors and their families in the healing process.
Prior legislative history
2023-24 S.119 - Died on Third Reading
2021-22- S.826/No Same As - Died on Third Reading
2019-20- S.6247/A7514 - referred to health
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.