Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2429 Compare Versions

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22 FILED ON: 7/28/2023
33 SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2429
44 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
55 _______________
66 In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
77 (2023-2024)
88 _______________
99 An Act relative to gender identity on Massachusetts identification.
1010 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
1111 of the same, as follows:
1212 1 SECTION 1. Section 13 of chapter 46 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
1313 2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (e) and inserting in place thereof
1414 3the following subsection:-
1515 4 (e) (1) A person who is over the age of 18 or who is an emancipated minor, or the parent
1616 5or guardian of a person who is a minor, may request a change in the sex designation on the
1717 6person’s birth record to a sex designation including, but not limited to, “female”, “male” or “X”.
1818 7An “X” designation may indicate that the person is another gender or an undesignated gender. A
1919 8request for a change in the sex designation on a birth record shall be accompanied by an affidavit
2020 9executed under the penalty of perjury by the person to whom the record relates, or by the parent
2121 10or guardian of the person if the person is a minor, attesting that the request is to conform to the
2222 11person’s gender identity and is not made for any fraudulent purpose; provided, however, that no
2323 12medical or healthcare related documentation, court order or proof of change of name shall be
2424 13required by a town clerk or other official in connection with a request under this paragraph. 2 of 5
2525 14 (2) A person who is over the age of 18 or who is an emancipated minor, or the parent or
2626 15guardian of a person who is a minor, who requests a change in, the sex designation on the
2727 16person’s birth record pursuant to paragraph (1) may request a change of name on the person’s
2828 17birth record. A request for a change of name on a birth record shall be accompanied by a
2929 18certified copy of the legal change of name; provided, however, that no medical or healthcare
3030 19related documentation shall be required by a town clerk or other official in connection with a
3131 20request under this paragraph.
3232 21 (3) A person who is over the age of 18 or who is an emancipated minor, or the parent or
3333 22guardian of a person who is a minor, who has changed the sex designation on the person’s birth
3434 23record pursuant to paragraph (1) but did not request a change of name on the person’s birth
3535 24record pursuant to paragraph (2) may request a change of name on the person’s birth record
3636 25within 3 years from the date of the change in the sex designation on the person’s birth record
3737 26pursuant to said paragraph (1); provided, however, that a person whose sex designation on their
3838 27birth record was changed while the person was a minor shall have 3 years from the date of their
3939 28eighteenth birthday to request a change of name on the person’s birth record; provided further
4040 29that the department may waive the 3 year limitation for a person that demonstrates good cause,
4141 30as determined by the department. A request for a change of name on a birth record shall be
4242 31accompanied by a certified copy of the legal change of name; provided, however, that no
4343 32medical or healthcare related documentation shall be required by a town clerk or other official in
4444 33connection with a request under this paragraph.
4545 34 (4) The department of public health may promulgate regulations to implement this
4646 35subsection. 3 of 5
4747 36 SECTION 1A. Said section 13 of said chapter 46, as so appearing, is hereby further
4848 37amended by adding the following subsection:-
4949 38 (l)(1) The state registrar or town clerk shall amend a certificate of marriage for a person
5050 39who has a certificate of marriage and submits an application in a form approved by the
5151 40department that includes:
5252 41 (i) an affidavit executed by the person to whom the record change relates attesting, under
5353 42penalty of perjury, that: (A) the request is to conform to the affiant’s gender identity; (B) the
5454 43request is not made for any fraudulent purpose; and (C) the marriage is still legally intact; and
5555 44 (ii) a notarized statement from the spouse named on the certificate of marriage to be
5656 45amended consenting to the amendment of the certificate of marriage.
5757 46 (2) A person may amend a gender designation on a certificate of marriage to a gender
5858 47designation including, but not limited to, “female”, “male” or “X”. An “X” designation may
5959 48indicate that the person is another gender or an undesignated gender.
6060 49 (3) A person may request to amend their name on a certificate of marriage. A request for
6161 50a change of name on a certificate of marriage shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the
6262 51legal change of name; provided, however, that no medical or healthcare related documentation
6363 52shall be required by a town clerk or other official in connection with a request under this
6464 53subsection.
6565 54 SECTION 2. Chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
6666 55section 8M the following section:- 4 of 5
6767 56 Section 8N. The registry of motor vehicles shall permit a person submitting an
6868 57application under sections 8, 8B or 8E of this chapter or section 34B of chapter 138 to designate
6969 58“X”, “M” or “F” for gender on an application for a driver’s license, learner’s permit,
7070 59identification card or liquor purchase identification card. No documentation shall be required for
7171 60such a designation.
7272 61 The registrar of motor vehicles shall report annually to the chairs of the joint committee
7373 62on transportation on the number of people, indicated by race and ethnicity, who choose an “X”
7474 63designation on their driver’s license, learner’s permit, identification card or liquor purchase
7575 64identification card; provided, however, that data included in the report shall be de-identified so
7676 65that the identification of an individual person cannot be ascertained.
7777 66 The registrar of motor vehicles may promulgate regulations to implement this section.
7878 67 SECTION 3. The secretary of administration and finance shall develop a plan, including
7979 68estimated costs and a proposed timeline for implementation, to ensure that any state form or
8080 69document issued by a state agency that requires an individual to indicate the individual’s gender
8181 70shall provide an opportunity for the individual to choose a gender option other than male or
8282 71female; provided, however, that the secretary shall ensure that such a form or document complies
8383 72with applicable federal rules and regulations. The secretary shall submit the plan to the clerks of
8484 73the senate and house of representatives and the senate and house committees on ways and means
8585 74not later than January 1, 2025.
8686 75 SECTION 4. Not later than 6 months after the effective date of this act, the registry of
8787 76motor vehicles, the state secretary and any state agency that interacts with youth or young adults
8888 77in their care or provides youth or young adults with legal assistance, including, but not limited to, 5 of 5
8989 78the department of children and families, the department of youth services, the department of
9090 79mental health and the committee for public counsel services, shall develop materials for
9191 80dissemination to inform youth and young adults of the options regarding sex and gender
9292 81designations on state forms and documents pursuant to this act and develop processes to assist
9393 82youth and young adults who wish to change their gender designation.
9494 83 SECTION 5. Section 1 shall take effect on July 1, 2024.