Thank you to all who have taken action in response to the recently proposed bill that would amend the current public health law regarding access to and fees for New York State vital records as part of New York State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025-26 Executive Budget Proposal.
As soon as the NYG&B learned about the proposal in late January, we sprang into action. This included creating and widely sharing an informational resource page that provided tangible next steps for New Yorkers and the wider family history community to make their voices heard on this issue ahead of a New York State Senate Joint Legislative Committee Health/Medicaid public hearing on February 11, 2025.
The resulting groundswell of support and action taken by both individuals and organizations has been tremendous: nearly 2,050 people signed on to a community-wide letter that the NYG&B submitted as written testimony on behalf of the family history community to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. And to complement this effort, at least 187 people also submitted their own written testimony to share their personal stories of how the proposed bill would affect them and their ability to conduct family history research.
The NYG&B has also actively coordinated with other organizations and leaders in the genealogy and family history field on responsive education and advocacy efforts and strategies for addressing this issue.
Additionally, NYG&B President and CEO D. Joshua Taylor provided in-person testimony to the New York State Joint Legislative Budget Hearing: Health/Medicaid on February 11, 2025. (The recording of Mr. Taylor’s oral testimony at the hearing is available here.) This complemented written testimony he submitted with recommendations and solutions to ensure New Yorkers, genealogical and historical organizations, researchers, and the wider family history community have continued access to the New York State vital records.
The NYG&B will continue to monitor this evolving issue, advocate for vital records access, and educate individuals and organizations on how they can continue to take action.