Int. No. 733
By The Speaker (Council Member Vallone) and Council Members Sabini, Carrion, Linares, Malave-Dilan, Berman, Henry, Nelson, Cruz and Stabile; also Council Members Koslowitz, Michels, O'Donovan, Povman and Ognibene.
A Local Law to amend the New York City Charter to prohibit city agencies from hiring persons who are required to register with the federal selective service system and have failed to register.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Declaration of Legislative Findings and Intent. The Council of the City of New York finds that it is in the best interest of the City and its citizens to require that prospective City employees, who are required to register with the federal Selective Service System, complete such registration. The Military Selective Service Act requires all males, who are at least 18 years old but not yet 26 years old, to register with the Selective Service System, a federal agency responsible for registering young men for a draft in the event of a national crisis or emergency. Historically, the rate of compliance in metropolitan areas lags behind the national average.
Selective Service System registration also establishes eligibility for a wide range of benefits. Registration is a prerequisite for federal student financial aid, job training programs and appointment to most federal jobs. Several states have enacted similar requirements for student financial aid and appointment to state jobs. In addition, the Immigration and Naturalization Service requires proof of registration as a condition for eligibility to apply for citizenship.
Accordingly, the Council finds that it is in the best interest of the City of New York to ensure that agencies hire only those individuals who satisfy the requirements of the federal Military Selective Service Act.
Section 2. Chapter 49 of the Charter of the City of New York is hereby amended by adding a new section 1136.2, to read as follows:
Section 1136.2. Registration with the federal selective service system.
- No person under the age of twenty-six who is required to register with the selective service system pursuant to the federal military selective service act may be employed by the city of New York or any of its agencies or instrumentalities without providing proof of such registration or exception from registration.
- Proof of selective service system registration shall consist of any form of proof accepted by the selective service system as proof of registration.
- Selective service system registration materials may be distributed at city agencies at the discretion of such agencies.
ยง3. This local law shall become effective immediately. Employees of the city of New York, its agencies or instrumentalities, under the age of twenty-six and hired prior to the effective date of this local law, who are required to register with the federal selective service system but have failed to do so, shall have 60 days from the effective date of this local law to satisfy the requirements of the federal military selective service act.