In Case You Haven't Heard…

Governor Christie vetoes a bill to allow trans-people to change their birth certificate without surgery.

Christie vetoes bill allowing new birth certificates for transgender people without surgery
LGBTQ Nation
Staff Reports
Monday, January 13, 2014

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey governor Chris Christie on Monday vetoed a bill that would have allowed transgender citizens to obtain a new birth certificate to reflect their gender identity without surgical requirements.

Christie’s veto was absolute, which is means he rejected the law outright and returned the measure to the State Legislature without amendment. A two-thirds vote will now be required to override the governor’s veto in order for the measure to become law — 27 votes in the Senate and 54 votes in the general assembly.

The State’s Senate had passed the measure last month by a vote of 21-11. The lower house approved the measure 43-27 vote in June.

I believe that the Senate needs one more vote to overturn the veto and the House needs four more votes.

The governor wrote in part…

This bill revises current standards applicable to the issuance of an amended birth certificate by the State Registrar of Vital Statistics. Specifically, the bill requires issuance of an amended birth certificate on receipt of a form completed by the person’s licensed health care provider that indicates that the person has undergone clinically appropriate treatment for the purpose of gender transition, based on contemporary medical standards, or that the person has an intersex condition. The bill also permits a minor to apply for an amended birth certificate if submitted by a parent or guardian on behalf of the minor. In addition, current law requires the State Registrar to place the original certificate of birth and all papers pertaining to the amended certificate of birth under seal, which is not to be broken except by order of a court. The bill permits the seal to be broken on the request of the person, or upon the request of the parent or guardian, if the person is a minor. Finally, the bill clarifies that the amended certificate shall not be marked as amended.