Killing Bipartisan Bills

Death Record Access Expansion

• • In 2023, the funeral home industry lobbied to expand access to death certificates because many people who were next of kin to decedents were having difficulties getting death certificates.

  • The expansion of access put New York almost in line with death record access in other states.

  • The DOH lobbied the Governor to kill the bill by claiming, without evidence, that it would cost $2.8 million to implement the law.

    • Governor Hochul signed a Chapter Amendment removing all newly entitled parties other than domestic partners.

  • The Division of the Budget’s analysis noted that this cost estimate was absurd, and would require 18 relatives of every person who died in a given year to request a certificate.

• • Due to the nature of how chapter amendments work, the expanded access categories were valid law for one month.

  • BVR instructed registrars to "hold all requests" and thus, to not follow the newly-signed law for that one month.

  • BVR formally denied at least one request from a newly-entitled applicant prior to the signing of the revision.