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Assembly Bill A10986

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Requires the use of gender-neutral terminology on state websites

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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2017-A10986 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Governmental Operations
Law Section:
State Technology Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§101 & 103, St Tech L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2019-2020: A1306
2021-2022: A3037
2023-2024: A1371

2017-A10986 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes that state agencies or authorities shall implement gender-neutral terminology on state websites.

2017-A10986 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10986
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 29, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the state technology law, in relation to requiring state
   websites to use gender-neutral terminology
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Section  101  of  the  state technology law is amended by
 adding three new subdivisions 6, 7 and 8 to read as follows:
   6. "STATE WEBSITE" MEANS AN INTERNET WEBSITE  OPERATED  BY  OR  FOR  A
 STATE  AGENCY OR AUTHORITY. SUCH TERM SHALL INCLUDE THOSE WEBSITES OPER-
 ATED ON BEHALF OF STATE AGENCIES  OR  AUTHORITIES  BY  OTHER  PUBLIC  OR
 PRIVATE  ENTITIES,  BUT  SHALL  NOT INCLUDE ANY PORTIONS OF THE INTERNET
 OUTSIDE THE CONTROL OF THE STATE AGENCY OR AUTHORITY.
   7. "GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMINOLOGY" MEANS A WORD OR EXPRESSION THAT CANNOT
 BE TAKEN TO REFER TO ONE GENDER ONLY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO TERMS
 SUCH AS FLIGHT ATTENDANT, FIREFIGHTER, OR POLICE OFFICER.
   8."GENDER-BIASED TERMINOLOGY" MEANS A WORD OR EXPRESSION THAT CATEGOR-
 IZES ON THE BASIS OF GENDER DISTINCTIONS THAT CAN ONLY BE TAKEN TO REFER
 TO ONE GENDER ONLY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO TERMS SUCH AS HUSBAND,
 WIFE, FIREMAN OR POLICEMAN.
   § 2. Section 103 of the state technology law is amended  by  adding  a
 new subdivision 8-a to read as follows:
   8-A.  (A)  TO  ADVISE  AND ASSIST STATE AGENCIES OR AUTHORITIES IN THE
 IMPLEMENTATION  OF  GENDER-NEUTRAL  TERMINOLOGY   ON   STATE   WEBSITES.
 GENDER-BIASED  TERMINOLOGY SHALL BE PROHIBITED. TO THE EXTENT CONSISTENT
 WITH THE MEANING OF THIS LAW, MASCULINE PRONOUNS MAY  BE  USED  TOGETHER
 WITH  FEMININE PRONOUNS IN REFERENCE TO ELECTED OFFICIALS, COMMISSIONERS
 AND SIMILAR PERSONS;
   (B) THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION  SHALL  IN  NO
 WAY  INTERFERE  WITH  THE  ABILITY  OF  ANY STATE AGENCY OR AUTHORITY TO
 COLLECT GENDER-SPECIFIC INFORMATION, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW,  AS
 NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15974-01-8

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