File #: Int 1225-2025    Version: Name: Establishing an office of the census.
Type: Introduction Status: Laid Over in Committee
Committee: Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation
On agenda: 3/26/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to establishing an office of the census
Sponsors: Julie Menin, Alexa Avilés, Eric Dinowitz, Oswald J. Feliz, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chris Banks, Farah N. Louis, Lynn C. Schulman, Shaun Abreu, Tiffany L. Cabán, James F. Gennaro, Susan Zhuang, Sandra Ung, Shahana K. Hanif, Mercedes Narcisse, Sandy Nurse, Kamillah Hanks, Diana I. Ayala, Christopher Marte, Francisco P. Moya, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Rita C. Joseph, Linda Lee, Keith Powers , Chi A. Ossé, Julie Won, Nantasha M. Williams, Darlene Mealy, Gale A. Brewer, Crystal Hudson, Althea V. Stevens, Pierina Ana Sanchez, Kevin C. Riley, Shekar Krishnan, Erik D. Bottcher, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams
Council Member Sponsors: 36
Summary: This bill would establish an office of the census. The office would be tasked with maximizing local participation in the federal decennial census. The work of the office would only occur during the term of the office’s director, which starts between two and half and two years before the decennial census, and ends no later than six months after the decennial census.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1225-A, 2. Summary of Int. No. 1225, 3. Int. No. 1225, 4. March 26, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 5. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 3-26-25, 6. Committee Report 9/15/25, 7. Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council, 8. Fiscal Impact Statement - OMB, 9. Hearing Testimony 9/15/25, 10. Hearing Transcript 9/15/25, 11. Proposed Int. No. 1225-A - 11/26/25

Proposed Int. No. 1225-A

 

By Council Members Menin, Avilés, Dinowitz, Feliz, Brooks-Powers, Banks, Louis, Schulman, Abreu, Cabán, Gennaro, Zhuang, Ung, Hanif, Narcisse, Nurse, Hanks, Ayala, Marte, Moya, Gutiérrez, Joseph, Lee, Powers, Ossé, Won, Williams, Mealy, Brewer, Hudson, Stevens, Sanchez, Riley, Krishnan, Bottcher and the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams)

 

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to establishing an office of the census

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 1 of the charter of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 20-t to read as follows:

§ 20-t. Office of the census. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Director. The term “director” means the director of the office.

Office. The term “office” means the office of the census.

Regional office. The term “regional office” means the New York regional office of the United States census bureau.

b. Establishment of office. The mayor shall establish a temporary office of the census. Such office may be established within any office of the mayor or as a separate office of any department the head of which is appointed by the mayor. Such office shall be headed by a director, who shall be appointed by the mayor or, if the office is established within an agency other than the office of the mayor, by the head of such agency.

c. Term. The mayor or such agency head as authorized by subdivision b of this section shall appoint a director no earlier than 30 months before, and no later than 24 months before, each federal decennial census. The director's term shall end no later than 6 months after the United States census bureau ceases data collection field operations for the federal decennial census. The office shall conduct its business only during the director’s term.

d. Powers and duties. The director shall have the power and duty to:

1. Serve as the primary liaison between the city and the regional office and collaborate with such regional office to encourage full participation by all city residents in completing the federal decennial census, to the extent requested or permitted by such regional office;

2. Identify hard to count areas and populations, and community leaders in such areas and populations, by working with the department of city planning, office of immigrant affairs, the New York city housing authority, the New York city commission on human rights, and any other relevant office or agency;

3. Create and carry out a multilingual public awareness campaign to promote awareness of the federal decennial census in hard to count areas and populations;

4. Provide language assistance services to limited English proficient individuals, including, but not limited to, providing such individuals with materials created by the office or regional office in their preferred language and providing interpretation or translation services to facilitate completing the census forms; and

5. Work with leaders from all sectors across the city, such as businesses, cultural and education institutions, religious and social organizations, community-based organizations, labor unions, and disability advocacy groups, to promote awareness of the federal decennial census.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

LH/JMF

LS #16369

11/25/2025 5:59 PM