STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1142
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. KELLES -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to requiring
the use of gender-neutral terms in law
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 22 of the general construction law, as added by
2 chapter 730 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 22. Gender. Whenever words of the masculine or feminine gender
4 appear in any law, rule or regulation, unless the sense of the sentence
5 indicates otherwise, they shall be deemed to refer to [both male or
6 female] persons of any gender. This construction shall apply to gender
7 indicative suffixes or prefixes as well as to gender indicative words.
8 Whenever the reference is to a corporation, board, body, group, organ-
9 ization or other entity comprising more than one person or to an assem-
10 blage of persons or to an inanimate object the reference shall be
11 construed to be neuter in gender. Hereafter, in any law, rule, regu-
12 lation, ordinance or resolution, gendered terms shall not be used and
13 gender-neutral terms, including but not limited to "they", "them" and
14 "theirs", shall be used in substitution therefor and with the same force
15 and effect; provided, however, if such law, rule, regulation, ordinance
16 or resolution is in reference to a specific person, the language refer-
17 ring to such person shall be gendered in accordance with the gender
18 identity of such person.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01090-01-3
