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REMARKS
Council Member Shahana Hanif advocates for the Access to IDNYC Act
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Council Member Shahana Hanif presents her remarks on Intro 216-A, the Access to IDNYC Act. She explains the importance of the IDNYC program, outlines the challenges in the current system, and details how the new bill will address these issues and improve the application process. Hanif urges her colleagues to vote yes on the bill.
- Hanif highlights the significance of IDNYC for various groups, including immigrants, older adults, and young people seeking employment.
- The bill aims to reinstate same-day walk-in appointments, improve online scheduling, and implement other operational enhancements.
- Hanif acknowledges the contributions of fellow council members, advocates, and her team in developing and supporting the bill.
Shahana Hanif
0:39:17
Thank you, madam majority leader.
0:39:19
Today, we are voting on intro two sixteen a, the access to IDNYC act.
0:39:24
Thank you to deputy speaker Ayala and council member Brewer for introducing this bill alongside me, to immigration chair Aviles for moving it through committee, and to speaker Adams for bringing it to the floor today.
0:39:37
As you know, the IDNYC is a municipal identification card that is available to all New York City residents regardless of immigration status.
0:39:46
The card can be used in many important situations including a parent who needs proof of residency to get food for their family from a food pantry, an older adult applying for a discounted metro card, a person seeking asylum who needs some form of photo ID to apply for an employment authorization document, and a young person who was offered their first job but needs a photo ID to complete the onboarding paperwork.
0:40:15
However, for over a year, same day walk in appointments have not been available, and an inefficient website made it extremely difficult to schedule appointments.
0:40:24
And I'm sure many of your teams have encountered constituents frustrated about the challenges of obtaining an ID.
0:40:31
Intro two sixteen a will address these operational issues and significantly improve the IDNYC application process.
0:40:39
This bill will reinstate same day walk in appointments on a pilot basis, ensure the number of available application slots meet the demand from New Yorkers, codify improvements to the online appointment scheduling system, implement annual staff training for efficient processes, establish a refuse system for applicants who are denied, and add an issue date to the card so cardholders can demonstrate how long they've resided in New York City, which is important for federal immigration proceedings.
0:41:14
I wanna thank all the advocates, Brooklyn Defender Services, and the entire legislative team, Nicole Kata, Rebecca Barilla, Rob Kalandra, Declan McPherson, and my team members Matt Malloy, Alex Liao, Mouslamia, and Nisha Joudhry.
0:41:29
I urge my colleagues to vote yes.
0:41:30
Thank you.