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Senate Bill S8440A

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires the use of gender-neutral terms in law

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

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2021-S8440 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9428
Current Committee:
Senate Rules
Law Section:
General Construction Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §22, Gen Con L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S155, A1142

2021-S8440 - Summary

Requires the use of gender-neutral terms in law.

2021-S8440 - Sponsor Memo

2021-S8440 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8440
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 1, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
 
 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:

   Section 1. Section 22 of the general construction  law,  as  added  by
 chapter 730 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
   §  22.  Gender.  Whenever  words  of  the masculine or feminine gender
 appear in any law, rule or regulation, unless the sense of the  sentence
 indicates  otherwise,  they  shall  be  deemed to refer to [both male or
 female] persons OF ANY GENDER. This construction shall apply  to  gender
 indicative  suffixes  or prefixes as well as to gender indicative words.
 Whenever the reference is to a corporation, board, body,  group,  organ-
 ization  or other entity comprising more than one person or to an assem-
 blage of persons or to  an  inanimate  object  the  reference  shall  be
 construed  to  be  neuter in gender.   HEREAFTER, IN ANY LAW, LOCAL LAW,
 RULE, REGULATION, ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION, GENDERED TERMS SHALL  NOT  BE
 USED  AND  GENDER-NEUTRAL  TERMS,  INCLUDING  BUT NOT LIMITED TO "THEY",
 "THEM" AND "THEIRS", SHALL BE USED IN SUBSTITUTION THEREFOR AND WITH THE
 SAME FORCE AND EFFECT; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, IF SUCH LAW, LOCAL LAW,  RULE,
 REGULATION,  ORDINANCE  OR  RESOLUTION  IS  IN  REFERENCE  TO A SPECIFIC
 PERSON, THE LANGUAGE REFERRING TO  SUCH  PERSON  SHALL  BE  GENDERED  IN
 ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENDER IDENTITY OF SUCH PERSON.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14329-01-2

co-Sponsors

2021-S8440A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9428
Current Committee:
Senate Rules
Law Section:
General Construction Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §22, Gen Con L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S155, A1142

2021-S8440A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the use of gender-neutral terms in law.

2021-S8440A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S8440A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8440--A
     Cal. No. 706
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 1, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. KRUEGER, HOYLMAN, JACKSON -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on  Judici-
   ary  --  reported  favorably from said committee, ordered to first and
   second report,  ordered  to  a  third  reading,  amended  and  ordered
   reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading

 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:
 
   Section  1.  Section  22  of the general construction law, as added by
 chapter 730 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
   § 22. Gender. Whenever words  of  the  masculine  or  feminine  gender
 appear  in any law, rule or regulation, unless the sense of the sentence
 indicates otherwise, they shall be deemed to  refer  to  [both  male  or
 female]  persons  OF ANY GENDER. This construction shall apply to gender
 indicative suffixes or prefixes as well as to gender  indicative  words.
 Whenever  the  reference is to a corporation, board, body, group, organ-
 ization or other entity comprising more than one person or to an  assem-
 blage  of  persons  or  to  an  inanimate  object the reference shall be
 construed to be neuter in gender.  HEREAFTER, IN ANY  LAW,  RULE,  REGU-
 LATION,  ORDINANCE  OR  RESOLUTION, GENDERED TERMS SHALL NOT BE USED AND
 GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO  "THEY",  "THEM"  AND
 "THEIRS", SHALL BE USED IN SUBSTITUTION THEREFOR AND WITH THE SAME FORCE
 AND  EFFECT; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, IF SUCH LAW, RULE, REGULATION, ORDINANCE
 OR RESOLUTION IS IN REFERENCE TO A SPECIFIC PERSON, THE LANGUAGE  REFER-
 RING  TO  SUCH  PERSON  SHALL  BE GENDERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENDER
 IDENTITY OF SUCH PERSON.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14329-03-2

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