Senator Hoylman Introduces Legislation to Modernize New York State Birth Certificates

Modern Family Birth Certificate Act changes birth certificates to reflect LGBT families

Hoylman: “New York’s laws must keep pace with our changing families” 

New York, NY, October 2, 2014 — Today, Senator Brad Hoylman introduced the “Modern Family Birth Certificate Act,” (S. 7942) to modernize the parentage designations on New York State birth certificates. Senator Hoylman’s legislation would bring New York State birth certificates in line with US passport applications by expanding the designation options for each parent on the certificate to  ”mother/father/parent.”

Currently, parents are only classified on a birth certificate as “mother/parent” or “father/parent.” Giving parents the option to be designated as “mother,” “father,” or “parent” will ensure that their child’s first legal document is an accurate reflection of their family.

Senator Hoylman (D, WFP – Manhattan) said: “It’s time we modernize parentage designations on birth certificates to include all our families. Since New York passed marriage equality, it’s a new dawn for half a million LGBT adults who now have the right to marry. The next step for many of these couples will be to have kids, and we need to make sure they have the same rights as anyone else, including the right to have their families acknowledged accurately on birth certificates. New York’s laws must keep pace with our changing families.”

Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Nathan M. Schaefer said: “The Modern Family Birth Certificate Act is an important piece of legislation that will correct outdated notions of what it means to be a family by recognizing the true diversity of parenthood. A birth certificate is the first legal identification granted to a person, and it is the document upon which all future pieces of identification are based. The genders or gender identities of one’s parents should be accurately reflected on this significant document for the sake of safety, accessing services and as a matter of public record. It is one big step in the direction of protecting our families.”

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