NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6219B
SPONSOR: Gonzalez-Rojas TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the collection of
certain demographic information by certain state agencies, boards,
departments and commissions
PURPOSE:
To require that the state disaggregate the Middle Eastern or North Afri-
can group from the White group when collecting demographic data regard-
ing the ancestry or ethnic origin of New York residents.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one adds a new section 170-h to the executive law to require
that every state agency, board, department or commission that directly
collects demographic data regarding the ancestry or ethnic origin of a
New York resident disaggregate Middle Eastern or North African from the
White demographic, or collect separate data on each major Middle Eastern
or North African group.
Section two sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, individuals of Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) descent
and those of European descent are aggregated into the collective term
"white" for the purposes of New York State demographic data collection.
However, following the September 11 attacks, MENA individuals faced
increased racism and xenophobia across our nation. Studies now show that
the majority of MENA individuals do not identify as white.
MENA communities across New York State remain underserved, exhibiting
higher rates of language needs, housing insecurity, poverty, domestic
abuse, and health disparities. Despite this, MENA individuals, organiza-
tions, and businesses face difficulties when attempting to receive equi-
ty-based support due to their classification as white. Furthermore,
groups providing aid to MENA communities encounter challenges when
trying to find these groups due to the lack of MENA data. The U.S.
Census' estimates indicate that there are at least 280,000 MENA New
Yorkers, but studies indicate that the actual number is likely over
500,000 due to the lack of MENA data collection. In the census, demo-
graphic maps, and other data tools, MENA individuals are invisible as
they remain buried within the white demographic. By disaggregating
Middle Eastern or North African from white, MENA New Yorkers can finally
be seen and supported.
This bill goes one step further by also permitting further disaggre-
gation of MENA communities, ensuring that specific data can be collected
on the inequalities found between different MENA groups. Similar legis-
lation disaggregating the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific
Islander demographic was signed into New York law in 2021.
There is strong precedent for this legislation. In 2015, President Obama
began the process to federally disaggregate MENA data. Unfortunately,
President Trump reversed this process upon taking office, and only now
is President Biden renewing the initiative once more. Even if President
Biden is successful, it will be years before these changes take place on
the federal level. At this time, no states have yet disaggregated MENA
data. New York State is a trailblazer, and it is time for us to step up
and pave the way in providing our MENA communities the recognition they
deserve.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall'have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6219--B
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 3, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GONZALEZ-ROJAS, MAMDANI, RAGA, GALLAGHER, GLICK,
SILLITTI, SIMON, BURDICK, FORREST, SEAWRIGHT, FALL, SHIMSKY, LEVEN-
BERG, SAYEGH, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, CLARK, SIMONE, SHRESTHA -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Governmental
Operations in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the collection of
certain demographic information by certain state agencies, boards,
departments and commissions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 170-h
2 to read as follows:
3 § 170-h. Additional collection of demographic information. 1. Every
4 state agency, board, department, or commission that directly collects
5 demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of residents of the
6 state of New York shall use separate collection categories and tabu-
7 lations for the White group in New York state, including the following
8 Middle Eastern or North African groups in New York state:
9 (a) Each major North African (NA) group, including, but not limited
10 to, Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, and Libyan; and
11 (b) Each major Middle Eastern (ME) group, including, but not limited
12 to, Yemeni, Iranian, Palestinian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Israeli, Syrian,
13 Armenian, and Saudi; and
14 (c) Other Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) groups, including,
15 but not limited to, transnational indigenous MENA communities like
16 Amazigh and Syriac people.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10311-07-4
A. 6219--B 2
1 2. Every state agency, board, department, or commission that directly
2 collects demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of resi-
3 dents of the state of New York shall allow multiple collection catego-
4 ries to be selected.
5 3. The data collected pursuant to the different collection categories
6 and tabulations described in subdivision one of this section, to the
7 degree that the data quality is sufficient, shall be included in every
8 demographic report on ancestry or ethnic origins of residents of the
9 state of New York by the state agency, board, department, or commission
10 published or released on or after December first, two thousand twenty-
11 five; provided, however, that for the department of labor, division of
12 criminal justice services, office of mental health and office of tempo-
13 rary and disability assistance such requirements shall be effective July
14 first, two thousand twenty-six. The data shall be made available to the
15 public in accordance with state and federal law, except for personal
16 identifying information, which shall be deemed confidential, by posting
17 the data on the internet web site of the agency, board, department, or
18 commission on or before December first, two thousand twenty-five, and
19 annually thereafter; provided, however, that for the department of
20 labor, division of criminal justice services, office of mental health
21 and office of temporary and disability assistance such requirements
22 shall be effective July first, two thousand twenty-six. If the data
23 quality is determined to be insufficient for publication, an explanation
24 of the problem with the data quality shall be included in any report or
25 publication made available to the public. This subdivision shall not be
26 construed to prevent any other state agency from posting data collected
27 pursuant to subdivision one of this section on the agency's internet web
28 site, in the manner prescribed by this section.
29 4. The requirements of this section shall not apply to the department
30 of labor, the division of criminal justice services, the office of
31 mental health or the office of temporary and disability assistance until
32 two years after this section shall have become a law.
33 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
34 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
35 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
36 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
37 completed on or before such effective date.
