What's happening
This bill allows each parent to choose to be listed as "father," "mother," or "parent" on a child's birth certificate.
Why it matters
Promotes inclusivity and gender neutrality. by allowing parents to select a non-gendered title ("parent") or traditional titles ("mother" or "father"), reflecting diverse family structures and gender identities.
Reduces administrative and social barriers. for nonbinary, transgender, and same-sex parents, enabling birth certificates to accurately reflect their roles and identities without forcing them into inaccurate categories.
May have practical impacts on legal documentation, school registrations, and healthcare access. by ensuring official records align with how families identify, potentially reducing confusion or discrimination in future interactions with institutions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Parents Choose Birth Labels
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
46
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sens. HOYLMAN, RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the content of birth certificates
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "the modern family birth certificate act".
§ 2. Section 4132 of the public health law is amended by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
5. Each parent of the child may choose to be designated on the certificate of birth as "father" or "mother", as applicable, or as "parent".
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first day of January next succeeding the date upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04079-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the content of birth certificates
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 of the bill states that this act shall be known as the "Modern Family Birth Certificate Act."
Section 2 of the bill requires that parents have the option of appearing on their children's birth certificates as either "father," "mother," or "parent."
Section 3 of the bill states that the effective date is the next January 1 after the bill has become a law.
Justification
In the wake of marriage equality in New York State, there are now over half a million LGBT adults who have the right to marry. The next logical step for many of these couples is to start families, and this legis- lation will ensure that they have the same rights as anyone else, including the right to have their families acknowledged accurately on birth certificates.
This legislation is consistent with the designations currently used by the United States Department of State on their passport applications for children.
Legislative history
S.75 of 2017-2018 (Hoylman): Died in Health S.507 of 2015-2016 (Hoylman): Died in Health A.3552 of 2015-2016 (Hoyl- man): Died in Health S.7942 of 2014 (Hoylman): Died in Rules
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first day of January next succeeding the date upon which it shall have become a law; provided that, effective immediately, the commissioner of the department of health shall promul- gate appropriate rules and regulations for the implementation of the provisions of this act on or before its effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.