New York City Office Will Help Puerto Ricans Obtain Vital Records Needed To Access Government Benefits and Services

Governor Hochul: "Our view is that when Puerto Rico needs help, we're here. That is going to continue for the next four years as the Governor as well. As for many reasons, but the fact that over one million Puerto Ricans call New York home is a huge point of pride for all of us. So, we're always going to be there, and as we heard from the Governor, it just makes sense to have us reopen a Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Office right in New York."

Hochul: "I'm excited to do this at this particular event. And let you know that you will always have a friend and me. So, let me present this to you. For the first time ever, November will now be Puerto Rican heritage month in the State of New York."

Earlier today, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi, and Congressman Ritchie Torres announced the opening of a New York Office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, which will help Puerto Ricans living in New York and surrounding states more easily obtain birth certificates, marriage licenses, and other vital records needed to access basic government benefits and services. Until now, Puerto Ricans living in New York had no way to obtain these records locally and were required to travel to Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration offices in Washington D.C., Orlando, Florida, or in Puerto Rico to retrieve them.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here

AUDIO of the event is available here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks are available below:

Muy bien. First of all, thank you, Governor Pierluisi. We served together in Congress many years ago and I had a chance to get to see his leadership then, and certainly as a leader of this wonderful place, Puerto Rico, which is part of the New York family. We feel this close, symbiotic relationship and I'm really proud to be here on this day and also sharing the recognition of our veterans.

It is Veteran's Day and many people have put on uniforms throughout our history here in Puerto Rico, but also to the veterans in the State of New York. Many of my family members, my father-in-law, my husband's father, served after the invasion enormity. I had four uncles serving almost simultaneously in Vietnam. I have many cousins, nieces, nephews, who've also put on a uniform to defend the rights and freedoms of people in our country, so I honor them today as well.

Also, I want to recognize - I'll be introducing Congressman Torres. Great to see you outside of our usual diner in the Bronx where we usually meet. But also, Secretary of State, Robert Rodriguez, I thank you for also coming here at our direction in the aftermath of Fiona, and coming up with some really significant recommendations on how we can do more to help in good times and bad. So, thank you. And also, Robert Mujica, our Budget Director, always making sure that New York State is in good hands, but also to continue our strong outreach to Puerto Rico that you also come up with your recommendations.

We're back here for SOMOS, officially, but I've come here after earthquakes. I've come here to work on Medicaid, Medicare issues in the past. So, I've been coming here since I was a law student. I've come here many, many years and it's a great come back to this beautiful place. A place of people who celebrate their culture, the music, the food, everything that makes this place so extraordinary. And I'm so proud of you back here once again. We also, you know, as I mentioned, you know, we're here at good times and bad. We have been through a lot together, you know, not just the earthquakes, hurricanes, but also Covid was devastating to the economy here as it was in New York, and, you know, basically stymied the tourism industry and that was important. It was important - hit hard on our state, and also Puerto.

So, our view is that when Puerto Rico needs help, we're here. That is going to continue for the next four years as the Governor as well. As for many reasons, but the fact that over one million Puerto Ricans call New York home is a huge point of pride for all of us. So, we're always going to be there, and as we heard from the Governor, it just makes sense to have us reopen a Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Office right in New York. And Puerto Ricans come when they have many hurdles to deal with - records, government documents, birth certificates, marriage licenses. And the office closed back in 2017, I believe at the time was even back in Times Square. Why was this in Times Square in the first place? So, let's take it to a place, there's a larger concentration of people who would take advantage of these services. So, I'm really looking forward to the brilliant idea and thank you, Congressman Torres. That's part of our diner conversation. I remember us having this conversation, but just make it a smart, sensible place where people don't have to travel thousands of miles to get records they need for school or jobs or everyday life.

So, we'll make sure that this happens. We did sign an MOU with the Department of Labor to give them space in the Bronx, no cost. Also, making sure that Puerto Ricans know that we want to help get the word out now. We want to make sure that people understand the location, the hours, the operations. And Carmen, I thank you for your work can helping set this up as well.

My second announcement is, I mentioned, I sent a delegation here in the aftermath of Fiona, led by our Secretary of State, Robert Rodriguez. And you know, his responsibility was to assess the damage, figure out short term aid, but also long term aid and whatever else we could do. And part of it comes down to disaster preparedness. Unfortunately, we also have significant experience now dealing with hurricanes in the State of New York. I mean, climate change has been extraordinary, not just on this island, but also on the mainland. We've all had to make adaptations to how we respond.

So, we're announcing that we're going to be committing to bringing people here from Puerto Rico, 20 to 30 Puerto Rican first responders, literally will be coming, traveling to our New York State Preparedness Training Center. We'll have a curriculum that's really tailored to meet the needs of the island, but it'll include basic and advanced training in drones. And this is, I remember hearing, "What could we do here, and also in the Dominican Republic?" People said, "Can you help us with drones? We can survey the damage using modern technology to know where the damage is greatest, where the flood waters are rising, where the grid is down." So, we're going to be having that training made available in the State of New York to Puerto Rican first responders.

So, to the on the ground support in advance of each hurricane system, this will be funded through existing state resources. And again, while we may be 1,500 miles apart, the impact is the same. And shame on anyone who says that this is going to be the last one. I'm tired of hearing about 100-year events or 500-year events because they're happening every other year now. So, we are prepared for the extreme weather patterns and whether you're in San Juan or in the Bronx, we're in this fight together. We also built a partnership between SUNY, CUNY, and the University of Puerto Rico to train the next generation of mental health professionals that we engaged during these disasters.

I literally had a chance to meet with them after the earthquake. I spent a number of days here, and the psychological impact is hard on people, especially when you feel like you've been battered, battered, and battered again, and you just sometimes feel there's no relief, not just for the people, but also the people who are the responders. It does take a toll on people, and there's ways that we can help lift them up with real training for disaster mental health professionals. So, we'll continue doing that. We'll continue investing millions of dollars in solar energy and green jobs here. Last time I was here, I had a chance to go on the rooftop at the hospital that during Maria had literally been shut down.

Lives were lost because they could not provide services in this hospital. And since then, solar panels were put on the roof. We visited that last time. It was an extremely hot day, I remember, a year ago. But during this latest weather event, Fiona, the energy stayed on. The power stayed on, and that was an important reminder if you make these investments now, you can save lives later. And that's what we're going to continue doing here and working with our partners at FEMA.

So, our third announcement is that we're going to be recognizing there was a huge hit on the agricultural community here, and this was another observation the Secretary of State brought back to us. You know, the agricultural sector was hit really hard and it affects your ability to generate the revenues from exports, but also there is literally a shortage of food on the island then when you're used to growing your own food and becoming independent. So, there's another way we can help out is that we're, first of all, delivering more pounds - 19,000 pounds of fresh produce. I'll be going to the food bank after this, and so I'll be there to assist with that. That's our second donation. But also, how do we just, long-term, expand the produce trade between Puerto Rico and New York? Let's make those bonds even tighter.

So, we're going to be ensuring that the New York Food Hub in the Bronx makes purchases of food from Puerto Rico to give a steady marketplace. And this will help stimulate the Puerto Rican economy, the agricultural center, but also responding to a need that New York has in wanting to bring this fresh produce to our city, and make sure that it's serving underserved areas in our state as well.

Cornell University's College of Agriculture will also be partnering with the University of Puerto Rico to create student experiences and internships in the agricultural research and development area. Semester exchange programs, you know, let's share technology, let's share ideas, and let's share the educational opportunities with having students from here be able to spend time at Cornell University, one of the premier agricultural institutions in the world. Be able to have them come and talk about all kinds of areas we can improve the economy here as well. So that's what I'm excited to do. And also we have one more announcement.

Our fourth announcement is that for the for first time ever, proud to proclaim that November will now be Puerto Rican heritage month in the State of New York. It's long overdue. It's a recognition of this, again this tight bond that exists now and will continue to deepen, but also recognizing our Puerto Rican community is part of what makes New York State so fascinating and diverse.

And with this proclamation, I'm excited to do this at this particular event. And let you know that you will always have a friend and me. So, let me present this to you. For the first time ever, November will now be Puerto Rican heritage month in the State of New York.