Res. No. 1014
Resolution calling upon the State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign legislation amending the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law to recognize the New York City Identity Card (IDNYC) as a valid form of identification for purposes of purchasing alcohol.
By Council Members Torres, Constantinides, Chin and Dromm
Whereas, To prevent underage purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages, the Alcohol Beverage Control Law (ABC Law) dictates the types of identification that are acceptable proof of age for purchasing alcohol; and
Whereas, For purposes of purchasing alcohol, ABC Law recognizes the following forms of photo identification to prove age: both a driver’s license and non-driver I.D. issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles of New York State, or any other U.S. state or territory, by the federal government, or a provincial government of Canada; U.S. military I.D; and valid passports issued by the U.S. or any other country; and
Whereas, In July of 2014, New York City created a municipal ID program (IDNYC) and 10% of the city’s eligible population, or nearly three quarters of a million persons, applied for a card in the program’s first year; and
Whereas, IDNYC provides identification to all New Yorkers, but is especially useful to vulnerable communities, i.e. undocumented immigrants, which might encounter difficulty in obtaining or retaining government issued identification; and
Whereas, IDNYC enables the cardholder to access institutions such as banks and government buildings, and it is accepted by NYPD for identification purposes; and
Whereas, Given the widespread use and popularity of IDNYC, its utility to various communities, and the need for legal, commercial participation by those communities; and
Whereas, Because IDNYC is issued to individuals only after careful vetting and the submission of various documents proving identification, IDNYC should be among the forms of identification recognized by ABC Law and the SLA; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign legislation amending the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law to recognize the New York City Identity Card (IDNYC) as a valid form of identification for purposes of purchasing alcohol.
LS 7101
12/15/2015
11:15am
I.M.