New York Senate Passes Gender-Neutral Parentage Bill

On June 2, 2026, the New York State Senate passed Senate Bill S9316, revising the Family Court Act to replace “mother” with “gestating parent,” “father” with “non-gestating parent,” and “paternity”/“filiation” with “parentage.” The vote was 38-23, with one senator absent and one excused; the bill now awaits Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature. The language aligns with New York’s 2021 legalization of compensated surrogacy and its recognition of same-sex marriage and adoption. A January 2025 report by the New York Family Court Advisory and Rules Committee labeled the prior terminology “archaic” and urged gender-neutral terms to better serve children. The Senate, with 41 Democrats and 22 Republicans, saw cross-party support, including some Republican votes.

New York Dems Pass Law Replacing the Word ‘Mother’ with ‘Gestating Parent’Snopes

Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called herself “New York’s first mom governor” but told a Brooklyn audience she is “not familiar” with the bill’s content and will review it before deciding. The Family Court Advisory Committee said modernizing terminology is “not simply a matter of semantics” but essential to children’s best interests.

New York Dems Pass Law Replacing the Word ‘Mother’ with ‘Gestating Parent’

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman condemned the change as a “declaration of war on New York families,” and State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick asserted, “I am a mother and proud to be called mother.”

New York Dems Pass Law Replacing the Word ‘Mother’ with ‘Gestating Parent’

Social-media posts claimed the legislation “outlaws” the words mother and father. Fact-checking sources confirm the bill merely expands legal definitions and does not ban the traditional terms. Additionally, some reports suggested Governor Hochul fully supports the bill, yet her own remarks indicate limited familiarity, highlighting a gap in public understanding of the bill’s intent.

New York Dems Pass Law Replacing the Word ‘Mother’ with ‘Gestating Parent’

• “‘Democrats led by [New York Governor] Kathy Hochul have continued their declaration of war on New York families by cancelling the loving terms of Mom and Dad and replacing them with “gestating and non-gestating parent”.” — Bruce Blakeman, Republican candidate for Governor of New York (quoted by the New York Post)

New York Dems Pass Law Replacing the Word ‘Mother’ with ‘Gestating Parent’

• “ After outlining how current New York state family law language is "archaic" and fails to include situations that family courts deal with regularly, the report says (Page 133): Modernizing the terminology in the Family Court Act and other statutes is not simply a matter of semantics as overly narrow interpretations of family fail to fully meet children's best interests.” — New York Family Court Advisory and Rules Committee, 2025 report, p. 133

Snopes

• “At an event in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, she told the audience that she is ‘not familiar’ with its content, and she will ‘take a look at it’.” — Governor Kathy Hochul, public statement in Brooklyn

New York Dems Pass Law Replacing the Word ‘Mother’ with ‘Gestating Parent’

Governor Hochul has ten days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto S9316. A signature would codify the gender-neutral terms statewide; a veto could prompt legislative revision or further debate. The decision will shape how New York’s family courts address parentage in surrogacy, adoption, and LGBTQ+ families.

Snopes