NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8547
SPONSOR: Kelles TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general construction law, in relation to requiring
the use of gender-neutral terms in law
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to make technical changes to Chapter 139 of
the Laws of 2023 in order to effectuate the intent of the law.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of this bill would clarify the scope of Chapter 139 of the
Laws of 2023, by providing that gender neutral language shall be used,
so long as such language maintains the overall meaning of the sentence,
in any law, rule, regulation, or resolution.
Section two would establish the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Gender neutral language makes clear that one type of person is not
favored or disfavored to participate in a particular activity, profes-
sion, or other situation in which gendered terminology has historically
been used. The laws of New York State are equally applicable to every-
one, and the language used in our laws, rules, regulations, and resol-
utions should be gender neutral. This bill seeks to make technical
changes to effectuate the intent of Chapter 139 of the Laws of 2023.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as
chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the general construction law relat-
ing to requiring the use of gender-neutral terms in law, as proposed in
legislative bills numbers S. 155 and A. 1142, takes effect.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8547
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2024
___________
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 amended by a
2 chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the general construction law relat-
3 ing to requiring the use of gender-neutral terms in law, as proposed in
4 legislative bills numbers S. 155 and A. 1142, is amended to read as
5 follows:
6 § 22. Gender. Whenever words of the masculine or feminine gender
7 appear in any law, rule [or], regulation, or resolution unless the sense
8 of the sentence indicates otherwise, they shall be deemed to refer to
9 persons of any gender. This construction shall apply to gender indic-
10 ative suffixes or prefixes as well as to gender indicative words. When-
11 ever the reference is to a corporation, board, body, group, organization
12 or other entity comprising more than one person or to an assemblage of
13 persons or to an inanimate object the reference shall be construed to be
14 [neuter] neutral in gender. Hereafter, in any law, rule, regulation,
15 [ordinance] or resolution, gendered terms shall not be used and gender-
16 neutral terms, including but not limited to "they", "them" and "theirs",
17 shall be used in substitution therefor and with the same force and
18 effect; provided, however, if any such law, rule, regulation, [ordi-
19 nance] or resolution is in reference to a specific person, the language
20 referring to such person shall be gendered in accordance with the gender
21 identity of such person.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same
23 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the general
24 construction law relating to requiring the use of gender-neutral terms
25 in law, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 155 and A. 1142,
26 takes effect.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01090-02-4
