S 7782: Requires the department of health to enter into a contract with an entity experienced in maintaining genealogical research databases for the digitalization and indexing of certain vital records.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7782 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE May 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SKOUFIS -- 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 requiring the department of health to enter into a contract for the digitalization and indexing of certain vital records The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2 4180 to read as follows: 3 § 4180. Vital records digitalization. 1. For the purposes of this 4 section, the term: 5 (a) "vital records index" or "index" shall mean a systematically 6 organized listing, compilation, or database derived from original vital 7 records maintained by the state local registrars, including but not 8 limited to vital records relating to birth, death, marriage, and dissol- 9 ution of marriage, which includes at a minimum, the names of any regis- 10 trants, the date and location of the event's registration, and any 11 assigned identifying reference numbers. 12 (b) "qualified entity" shall mean a natural person, firm, organiza- 13 tion, partnership, association, corporation, or any other entity experi- 14 enced in maintaining genealogical research databases. 15 2. The department shall enter into a long-term contract with a quali- 16 fied entity to create, maintain, and update an online genealogical 17 research database of images of New York state birth, marriage, dissol- 18 ution of marriage, and death certificates at no direct cost to the 19 state, in exchange for allowing the qualified entity to also provide 20 such database to its subscribers and customers. Such online database 21 shall be designed and constructed to have the capability of allowing a 22 vital records index of birth, marriage, dissolution of marriage, and 23 death certificates to be linked to a digital image of the underlying 24 original birth, marriage, dissolution of marriage, or death record once EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11667-02-5 
 S. 7782 2 1 any such underlying record has become public information under section 2 forty-one hundred seventy-four of this title, and the online genealogi- 3 cal research database shall be designed to allow the department to 4 create and activate such links to digital images of the original 5 records. Any social security numbers appearing on such records shall be 6 redacted from the digital images provided to the public, which may 7 include bulk redaction of social security fields from the images via 8 automated methods. Such indexes shall be a public record and subject to 9 the state freedom of information law under article six of the public 10 officers law. 11 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 4174 of the public health law, as 12 amended by section 2 of part W-2 of chapter 62 of the laws of 2003, is 13 amended to read as follows: 14 3. (a) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, the commissioner 15 shall have the authority to determine the means and methods by which the 16 following genealogical records shall be released to an applicant meeting 17 the qualifications to receive the relevant record type as described in 18 this section or in article three of the domestic relations law: (a) a 19 record of birth that has been on file for at least seventy-five years; 20 (b) a record of marriage, dissolution of marriage, or death that has 21 been on file for at least fifty years; or (c) any record of birth, 22 marriage, dissolution of marriage, or death for which the requester is a 23 lineal or collateral descendant. 24 (b) For any search of the files and records conducted for authorized 25 genealogical or research purposes, the commissioner or any person 26 authorized by [him] the commissioner shall be entitled to, and the 27 applicant shall pay, a fee of twenty dollars for each hour or fractional 28 part of an hour of time of search, together with a fee of two dollars 29 for each uncertified copy or abstract of such record requested by the 30 applicant or for a certification that a search discloses no record. 31 § 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a 32 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any 33 rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its 34 effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such 35 effective date.