Time is running out… at 5pm on Monday April 23rd, the New York City Board of Health closes the comment period on the pending amendment to the NYC vital records access policy.
If you’re not aware, here’s some background from the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society:
In 2017 The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene proposed a new rule that would affect when birth and death records are made available to the public and transferred to the Department of Records and Information Services.
Although we fought this proposal hard, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently voted in March to pass the new rule – public access to birth records is now restricted to 125 years, and access to death records is now restricted to 75 years.
Thanks to your support in 2017, a new amendment to this rule proposed would allow more relatives access to birth and death records, but we don’t think this amendment goes far enough: These expansions still unnecessarily limit the ability for individuals to access these records for research purposes.
It is estimated that over 120 million Americans can trace their roots back to New York City. Keep your history accessible! Sign the petition. Submit your comments to the Board of Health. Let your friends know.
Every submission counts… Act Today!
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