SENATE MEMORIAL 39
47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006
INTRODUCED BY
H. Diane Snyder
A MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND STATE AGENCIES TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF CONVERTING THE STATE STATUTES, RULES AND OTHER DOCUMENTS INTO GENDER-NEUTRAL LANGUAGE.
WHEREAS, New Mexico has been a leader among the states in promoting gender equality; and
WHEREAS, the legislature has previously adopted legislation regarding the use of gender-specific language in the construction of statutes under Section 12-2A-5 NMSA 1978; and
WHEREAS, this legislation did not provide explicit guidance for the drafting of future legislation, but since May 2002, there has been an increase in the use of gender-neutral language; and
WHEREAS, the New Mexico supreme court has recently modified its rules to provide more explicit guidance in the use of gender-neutral language, and the state bar board of bar commissioners, at the urging of its committee on women and the legal profession, unanimously supports changes in existing statutory language to promote gender equality; and
WHEREAS, other states have empowered their legislative council service or equivalent agency to act as a revisor of statutes by reviewing statutes and replacing gender-specific language where reasonable and possible;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to:
A. appoint a code revision committee to determine the scope and the level of effort needed to develop procedures for revising the statutes using gender-neutral language; and
B. work with the committee on women and the legal profession of the New Mexico state bar to develop legislation that will clearly guide the drafting of gender-neutral legislation in the future; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico legislative council, the office of the governor and the state executive and judicial branch agencies.
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