Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that authorizes New Yorkers to attest to their own gender identity when petitioning a court or updating an identification documents and no longer requires medical evidence to do so.

Highlights:

• Specifies if the petition states that the petitioner is responsible for spousal support or child support obligations according to a court order, upon review of the petitioner's application for name change and subsequent inquiry, the court may, in its discretion, order the petitioner to deliver by first class mail, the petitioner's new name with such certified order to the court of competent jurisdiction which imposed the orders of support (Sec. § 64).

• Authorizes a petition for leave to change sex designation to be made by a resident of the state to the county court of the county or the supreme court in the county in which such resident resides, or, if such resident resides in the city of New York, either to the supreme court or to any branch of the civil court of the city of New York, in any county of the city of New York (Sec. § 67.).

• Establishes when an individual petitions the court to recognize their gender identity or to amend the sex designation on an identity document, the court will issue such an order upon receipt of an affidavit from such individual attesting to their gender identity or reason for the change. No additional medical evidence shall be required to grant such a request. No such order shall be required to amend an identity document issued within New York state (Sec. § 67-2).

• Requires the court to immediately order the applicant's current name, sex designation, proposed new sex designation, residential and business addresses, telephone numbers, and any other information contained in any pleadings or papers submitted to the court to be safe-guarded and sealed to prevent their inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure while the matter is pending (Sec. § 67-b-2).

• Requires the identification card to display the sex designation of M, F, or X as certified by the applicant, with no additional documentation required. The applicant may amend the sex designation of their identification card upon request (Sec. § 7.-2).

• Authorizes each parent of the child to choose to be designated on the original certificate of birth or by amendment as "father" or "mother" or "parent" (Sec. § 10-5).

• Specifies any person born in New York state who applies to change the gender on the birth certificate and an affidavit attesting under penalty of perjury that the request for a change of gender to (female, male, or X) is to conform to the person's documents and records to the person's gender identity and is not made for any fraudulent purpose (Sec. § 11.f).

• Prohibits a sex designation of X from being a required sex designation of any individual. Upon receipt of the documentation, the commissioner will establish a new birth certificate reflecting the gender stated in the application and any name change, if accompanied by court order for change of name (Sec. § 11.f).

Full Bill Text