SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 6095
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
As Passed Senate, January 27, 2012
Title: An act relating to making technical corrections to gender-based terms.
Brief Description: Making technical corrections to gender-based terms.
Sponsors: Senator Kohl-Welles; by request of Statute Law Committee.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection: 1/16/12, 1/17/12 [DP].
Passed Senate: 1/27/12, 44-0.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, COMMERCE & CONSUMER PROTECTION |
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Kohl-Welles, Chair; Conway, Vice Chair; Holmquist Newbry, Ranking Minority Member; King, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Kline.
Staff: Stephanie Christensen (786-7405)
Background: Since 1983 state law has required that all statutes be written in gender-neutral terms, unless a specification of gender is intended. In 2007 the Legislature passed ESB 5063, an act relating to removing gender references. The act changed gender-specific terms to gender-neutral terms in several chapters of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), including those chapters dealing with firefighters, police officers, bondspersons, and material suppliers The Legislature directed the Code Reviser, in consultation with the Statute Law Committee, to develop and implement a plan to correct gender-specific references in the entire RCW. The Code Reviser must make annual legislative recommendations to make RCW completely gender-neutral by June 30, 2015.
Summary of Bill: Gender-specific terms and references are made gender-neutral in several Titles of RCW. For example, references to his are changed to his or her and clergyman is changed to member of the clergy. Titles relating to public service are included and made gender-neutral throughout. Other code sections are included, such as sections that contain public health and safety regulations, to modify specific references to man or men.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This is the fifth installment of changes to make the RCW gender-neutral. We may be able to finish this project in one more year. Since 1983 the Statue Law Committee has the directive to change terms to gender-neutral terms. Some of the sections amended in this bill have been on the books since the 1800s. Since 1983 the Code Revisers Office tries to send out bills with gender-neutral terms. By doing this bill during the interim, we are not using any extra staff time. If we tried to fix all 3000 sections at one time, we would have to print extra session laws and it would cost more money.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Kyle Thiessen, Statute Law Committee.