Int. No. 1828-A

By Council Members Ampry-Samuel, Rosenthal, Cumbo, Chin, Koslowitz, Ayala, Louis, Kallos, Adams, Gjonaj, Rivera, Levin, Barron, Rose and Gennaro (by request of the Brooklyn Borough President)

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing an advisory committee on female genital mutilation and cutting and making technical amendments in connection therewith

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Subchapter 7 of chapter 1 of title 3 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 38 for the year 2019, is renumbered subchapter 8; sections 3-170, 3-171, 3-172 and 3-173 of such subchapter, as added by such local law number 38, are renumbered 3-180, 3-181, 3-182 and 3-183, respectively; and a new section 3-184 is added to such subchapter to read as follows:

§ 3-184 Advisory committee on female genital mutilation and cutting. a. Advisory committee established. There shall be an advisory committee on female genital mutilation and cutting established by the mayor or the mayor’s designee. The advisory committee shall make recommendations to engage communities and agencies in decreasing, with the goal of eventually eliminating, the practice of female genital mutilation and cutting in the city and identify supportive community-based and culturally-responsive resources for people who have undergone female genital mutilation and cutting.

b. Duties. The advisory committee shall make recommendations to address, without limitation:

1. Enhancing access to guidelines and trainings for educators, non-profit organizations, law enforcement and healthcare providers to assist in (i) the identification and protection of individuals at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation and cutting, and (ii) reporting instances of female genital mutilation and cutting;

2. Preventing and responding to the practice of female genital mutilation and cutting, including through culturally-sensitive public information about female genital mutilation and cutting;

3. Improving the collection of data concerning the practice of female genital mutilation and cutting among individuals and communities in the city, to the extent allowed by law;

4. Improving the coordination of systems and services for, as well as the response of agencies to, individuals and communities affected by the practice of female genital mutilation and cutting; and

5. Providing opportunities for input from, as well as soliciting and considering the recommendations of stakeholders including, but not limited to, community and faith-based groups, advocacy organizations, survivors of female genital mutilation and cutting and social service providers.

c. Membership. 1. To the extent practicable, the advisory committee shall include, but need not be limited to, the following members, provided that such members appointed by the mayor shall serve for a two-year term:

(a) The commissioner of the office or such commissioner’s designee, who shall serve as chair;

(b) The commissioner of children’s services or such commissioner’s designee;

(c) The commissioner of health and mental hygiene or such commissioner’s designee; 

(d) The director of the office of immigrant affairs or such director’s designee;

(e) The police commissioner or such commissioner’s designee;

(f) The executive director of the commission on gender equity or such executive director’s designee;

(g) The chancellor of the department of education or such chancellor’s designee;

(h) Each borough president or each such borough president’s designee;

(i) The chief executive officer of the New York city health and hospitals corporation or such chief executive’s designee;

(j) Three medical professionals, including two or more licensed physicians, appointed by the mayor who have extensive experience working with patients who have undergone female genital mutilation and cutting and training healthcare providers on related issues;

(k) Three representatives appointed by the mayor from non-profit organizations that work with individuals who have undergone or are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation and cutting;

(l) An expert in the field of public health data collection and analysis appointed by the mayor who has relevant research experience and expertise; and

(m) Three individuals appointed by the mayor who have undergone female genital mutilation and cutting.

2. The mayor shall make all appointments required by this section no later than 90 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section.

3. Appointed members of the advisory committee shall serve without compensation.

d. Meetings. The advisory committee shall meet at least two times per year.

e. Assessment. No later than two years following the first meeting of the advisory committee, and every two years thereafter, as applicable, the office shall assess the need for the advisory committee. If such committee is deemed unnecessary, the advisory committee shall be dissolved following the submission of the subsequent report required pursuant to this section.

f. Report. The commissioner of the office shall include each year in the annual report prepared and submitted in accordance with section 3-181 a description of the advisory committee’s activities and recommendations. After dissolution of the advisory committee, if applicable, the commissioner of the office shall continue to include in such annual report a description of the office’s work in relation to female genital mutilation and cutting.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law.

SG / BM

LS #9294/11623

9/1/2021 6:00 pm