In a move that has ignited passionate debate across New York and beyond, the state Legislature has passed a bill that would remove the words "mother" and "father" from sections of state law, replacing them with gender-neutral terms such as "gestating parent," "non-gestating parent," and "parentage." The measure, which cleared the Assembly in March and the Senate in early June 2026, now sits on Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk, awaiting her signature or veto.
The bill, formally designated A8382A/S9316 and co-sponsored by State Senator Luis Sepúlveda and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin—both Democrats—targets family court proceedings, domestic relations law, child support statutes, education law, and other state codes. If enacted, "putative father" would become "alleged parent," and "paternity" would be replaced by "parentage" across official records. The changes, should Hochul sign the bill, would take effect on November 1, 2026.
Supporters of the legislation say the shift is long overdue, arguing that the current language is out of step with the realities of modern families. According to Fox News, Democrats who drafted the bill claim it is about "promoting inclusivity" for LGBTQ+ parents, same-sex couples, adoptive families, and those who use surrogacy or assisted reproduction. As State Senator Sepúlveda told the New York Post, "the bill was needed to be consistent with current statute and case law."
Adoption lawyer Leslie Silver-Hoffman echoed this sentiment, telling the New York Post, "You have adoptive parents who are of the same gender in New York. There are two male parents, two female parents." She added that the existing terminology is outdated given the growth in same-sex adoptions and surrogacy arrangements. A memo accompanying the bill states that the change brings state law into line with how family courts already handle surrogacy cases and cases involving same-sex parents.
State Senator Sepúlveda, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Assemblywoman Paulin, who represents Westchester, have emphasized that the changes do not alter the substance of parental rights. Rather, the goal is to ensure that legal language reflects the diversity of family structures in New York. "The bill aims to make custody law more inclusive for LGBTQ+ parents and families who use assisted reproduction or surrogacy," WRGB reported.
Yet the bill’s passage has been anything but quiet. Critics have come out in force, arguing that the legislation is unnecessary, distracting, and even offensive to many New Yorkers. Republican state Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, who voted against the bill, said, "At a time when New Yorkers are being crushed by utility bills, rising costs, and public safety concerns, Albany Democrats have decided one of their final priorities should be replacing mothers and fathers in state law. That is not what families are asking for. I am a mother and proud to be called 'mother.'"
Gerard Kassar, chairman of the New York Conservative Party, was equally blunt, telling The Washington Times, "It’s an unnecessary and wasteful use of time. Imagine people who are considering moving to New York seeing this and saying, 'Do I need this silliness?'" He described the measure as "woke culture run amok."
Some criticism has even come from within the Democratic Party. According to the New York Post, one Democratic lawmaker, speaking anonymously, said, "I have a word we can use for this: 'unnecessary.'" State Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo, a Republican from Staten Island, was more direct: "This bill is not a mother and father thing. It's not a gay thing. It's a stupidity thing."
On the Republican side, the rhetoric has been particularly heated. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the GOP’s gubernatorial candidate, shared his views on social media: "In Kathy Hochul’s New York, 'mom' is now defined as 'gestating parent.' Not when I’m Governor! I’ll stand up for moms and dads against this insanity." In another post, Blakeman declared, "This bill is a continuation of Hochul’s war on families, and I won’t stop fighting until we take New York back."
U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney, a Republican from New York, also weighed in on X (formerly Twitter) on June 4, writing, "The party that can’t define a woman is now rewriting New York law to erase mothers and fathers. Only in Albany could 'mom' and 'dad' become too controversial." She later called mothers "the foundation of families and society" and said the bill was "yet another example of out-of-touch politicians prioritising progressive ideology over the issues that actually matter to hardworking New Yorkers," according to LADbible.
Governor Kathy Hochul, for her part, has so far remained noncommittal. At a news conference on June 5 in Brooklyn, she said, "I have until the end of the year to review them and make a decision, so I won’t be commenting on pending legislation." A spokesperson for the governor’s office told CBS 6 Albany, "The Governor believes mothers are mothers and fathers are fathers, and no legislation changes that. The legislation, which we will review, appears to address technical legal issues related to surrogacy and parentage. Anyone making bad-faith arguments is deliberately misleading New Yorkers for political gain."
If Hochul signs the bill, it will mark another step in New York’s broader trend toward gender-neutral legislative language. In 2023, the governor approved a measure requiring all state laws and regulations to use gender-neutral pronouns, and in 2018, New York City allowed residents to select a non-binary "X" category on their birth certificates.
Notably, the bill passed the Senate by a vote of 38-23 on June 2, 2026, according to LADbible. The legislative session wrapped up on June 4, leaving the fate of the bill in the governor’s hands. While supporters insist the changes are about fairness and inclusion, critics argue the Legislature’s time would be better spent addressing the state’s economic and public safety challenges.
As the clock ticks toward Hochul’s decision—she has ten days from the bill’s passage to sign or veto, unless she chooses to wait until the end of the year, as she indicated—New Yorkers on all sides of the debate are watching closely. Will the state embrace legal language that reflects modern family realities, or will tradition prevail?
The answer, it seems, is just around the corner. For now, the bill stands as a symbol of the broader cultural and political battles playing out across the Empire State, and perhaps the country at large.