This legislation rewrites significant portions of New York’s Family Court Act and replaces longstanding terms such as “mother” and “father,” with terms like “gestating parent,” and broader “parentage” language.
June 18th, 2026
The Honorable Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York State
State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Hochul,
On behalf of AMAC Action, the advocacy affiliate of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), with over 2 million members nationwide, including over 70,000 in New York state, we strongly urge you to veto Assembly Bill A8382A.
This legislation would fundamentally rewrite significant portions of New York’s Family Court Act, Domestic Relations Law, Social Services Law, and related statutes by replacing longstanding and universally understood legal terms such as “mother,” “father,” “paternity,” and “filiation” with newly constructed terminology, including “gestating parent,” “non-gestating parent,” and broader “parentage” language.
This bill raises serious concerns about its impact on the cultural understanding of family structure. The terms “mother” and “father” reflect biological reality and the longstanding moral framework through which society understands child-rearing and parental responsibility. The deliberate removal of these foundational terms risks diminishing the recognized importance of mothers and fathers in law and public life. Our seniors are rightly concerned that this change reflects a radical ideological shift in how family is defined in statute, rather than a necessary legal reform grounded in demonstrated public need.
The proposed changes also introduce unnecessary complexity and risk into a system that depends on clarity and precision. Terms such as “mother” and “father” are currently legally operative words that anchor determinations of parentage, custody, child support, inheritance, and evidentiary standards in family court. Replacing these established terms with newly defined constructs risks confusion in statutory interpretation, inconsistent judicial application, and increased litigation over meaning and intent.
There is no clear evidence that the current legal terminology has caused systemic harm or obstructed justice in New York courts. Broad statutory restructuring of this magnitude should be reserved for addressing demonstrated legal deficiencies, not for abstract or symbolic change.
To prevent the erosion of foundational family norms that our members hold dear, we respectfully urge you to veto Assembly Bill A8382A. New York law should prioritize clarity, stability, and respect for the foundational role of families in society. This bill, in its current form, moves in the opposite direction.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Bengtson
Vice President
AMAC Action
