Bill > S10600

This bill requires the Office of Court Administration, clerks, and all other records custodians in New York State to develop policies and procedures to ensure that no identifying information or documentation related to name change actions or sex designation change actions is visible or retrievable in any electronic database maintained by the state or its subdivisions. This means that records of these legal processes, which allow individuals to formally change their name or their legally recognized sex, will be kept private by default and will not be accessible to the public, either in person or online, except for the individuals involved in the case, their attorneys, or in specific circumstances where a court finds good cause. The bill also mandates that existing records of name and sex designation changes be removed from public view within ninety days of the law taking effect, and provides a mechanism for individuals to request the removal of their previously public records if they discover they are still accessible.