Senator Bill Perkins Delivers Testimony To The NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) Concerning The Municipal ID Card Program

In early October, Senator Perkins delivered detailed testimony to the New York City Human Resources Administration relative to their proposed rulemaking on the City’s first ever Municipal ID Card Program.

Succinctly put, the Senator lauded HRA for the progress they have made in terms of implementing the enabling legislation, saying: “It is my earnest desire that this program is embraced by all, thrives in practice and serves as another substantial step in bringing individuals, families and whole immigrant communities out of a shadowy exile created and exacerbated by forces beyond their control.”

The Senator concomitantly raised five key areas of concern where more diligence is absolutely needed before the rule and the program are made final: Expanding The Universe Of Accepted Documentation; Confidentiality Concerns; Fraud; Outreach; and Acceptance At Financial Institutions.

The entire testimony can be found below.

In closing, the Senate stated: “In sum, I believe that HRA is maintaining a strong connection to the enabling legislation and has, in fact, improved on it in numerous ways. Conversely, and of the utmost importance are the issues that still need diligent work, including: Expanding the universe of accepted documentation, addressing persistent confidentiality concerns—specifically the prospect of holding onto the information of applicants for years on end—which may incentivize aggressive judicial subpoenaing and lead to profiling, the persistent issue of fraud, working to guarantee acceptance of the card at banks and making sure outreach is as robust as absolutely possible, including connecting with community based organizations, Consulate Offices and High Schools in this cardinal effort.”