A new bill passed by the New York state legislature on Tuesday is heading to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk, and it seeks to switch language in several laws to so-called “gender neutral language.”
Should Hochul sign off, “mother” and “father” would be switched to “gestating” and “non-gestating” parent, respectively, and “paternity” and “filiation” would be changed to “parentage.” For the purpose of family court proceedings, “putative father,” the purported father of a child, would be changed to “alleged parent.”
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The Democratic-controlled Assembly first passed the amendment in March, and the state Senate gave its approval on Tuesday.
Now, Hochul has 10 days to either sign the changes into law or veto the legislation. If approved, the changes would take effect Nov. 1.
If signed by Hochul, the bill would revise parental terminology across multiple sections of New York law but would not alter existing parental rights, obligations, or family court.
Empire State Democrats argue the measure modernizes New York law to reflect the realities of same-sex couples, adoptive families, surrogacy arrangements, and other family structures recognized in the state. The bill’s sponsor, Democratic state Sen. Luis Sepulveda of the Bronx, has argued that the changes are intended to align statutory language with existing court decisions and family practices.
Republicans were quick to criticize the legislation, arguing that lawmakers should focus on affordability, public safety, and other issues facing New Yorkers rather than rewriting legal terminology.
Conner Dunleavy, a Republican candidate challenging the chair of the state Assembly’s judicial committee who approved the bill, told the Washington Examiner the state legislature’s move “serves to undermine our families.” He said New York families are facing bigger challenges than legal terminology.
“[Their] priorities are totally out of whack,” Dunleavy said. “They’re focused on things like removing the words mother and father from state law and replacing them with ridiculous terms like gestating and non-gestating parent.”
“It’s not addressing our affordability crisis that we definitely have in the state, it’s not addressing our record-high taxes, it’s not addressing the insane costs of utilities, it’s doing nothing to help families, and it’s doing everything to erase us from the picture,” he added.
Dunleavy said Republicans and New Yorkers should oppose the bill and stop Hochul from signing the bill into law, but said, “if push comes to shove, I would have to guess the governor would sign this into law.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, who is backed by President Donald Trump, called the effort a “war” on families while also promoting his campaign.
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“Democrats led by Kathy Hochul have continued their declaration of war on New York families by canceling the loving terms of Mom and Dad and replacing them with ‘gestating and non-gestating parent,’” he said in a statement, according to the New York Post. “The insanity ends when I’m Governor.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Hochul for comment.
