118 HR 4876 IH: Equality in Laws Act U.S. House of Representatives 2023-07-25 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 118th CONGRESS1st Session H. R. 4876 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 25, 2023 Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania (for herself, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Robert Garcia of California, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To direct the Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives to replace masculine pronouns and nouns in the United States Code with gender-neutral language, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Equality in Laws Act.

2.

Gender-neutral language in the United States Code

(a)

In general

The Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives shall make such changes to the titles of the United States Code as are necessary to replace masculine pronouns and nouns in such titles with gender-neutral language in each case in which such revisions and amendments would not affect the substance or meaning of the relevant titles, including— (1)by striking his each place it appears and, as required by the relevant context, inserting— (A)the individual’s; (B)the appropriate possessive form of the noun to which the pronoun refers; (C)their or theirs; or (D)the appropriate possessive form of the title of the position to which the pronoun refers; and (2)by striking he and him each place such words appear and, as required by the relevant context, inserting— (A)the individual; (B)the noun to which the pronoun refers; (C)they or them; or (D)the appropriate title of the position to which the pronoun refers. (b)

Revision of positive law titles

The Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives shall, pursuant to subsection (a), prepare and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary such revisions in the titles of the United States Code which have been enacted into positive law as may be necessary to strike masculine pronouns and nouns and insert gender-neutral language in each case in which such revisions conform to the understood policy, intent, and purpose of the Congress in the original enactments. (c)

Amendment of nonpositive law titles

The Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives shall, pursuant to subsection (a), draft a bill to amend the titles of the United States Code that have not yet been enacted into positive law for the purpose of striking masculine pronouns and nouns and inserting gender-neutral language in each case in which such amendments conform to the understood policy, intent, and purpose of the Congress in the original enactments. (d)

Gender-Neutral language defined

The term gender-neutral language means language that expressly or implicitly refers to all genders without distinction between such genders and does not expressly or implicitly refer to a gender to the real or apparent exclusion of any other gender.