August 11, 2015
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill Monday that would have made it easier for transgender individuals to obtain an amended birth certificate.
Currently, for someone to amend their birth certificate to change their sex and name, they must show paperwork from a medical professional swearing to the person’s completion of gender reassignment surgery. The vetoed bill would have allowed individuals who hadn't had the surgery but had undergone gender transition treatment to receive an amended certificate.
“Last year, I vetoed identical legislation noting that a birth certificate is one of the most important legal documents that a person possesses and that proposed measures to revise the standards for the issuance of amended birth certificates must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards to mitigate security-related risks,” Christie said in his veto statement.
The vetoed legislation also sought to allow parents to file applications on behalf of their children.
“Many transgender people living in New Jersey elect not to have gender reassignment surgery because it is cost prohibitive and carries great risks, and instead undergo nonsurgical therapies during the process of transitioning,” said state Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, who supported the change in the legislation, in a statement. “This legislation allows them to change an important identification document to reflect the changes they have made without the requirement of having surgery.”
The bill was passed with large majorities in the legislature with many Republicans signing onto its passage. The bill passed the state Senate on a 30-6 vote and 51-23 in the Assembly.
Christie said he vetoed the bill because he wanted to be cautious when passing laws that could impact key personal identification documents.
“I remain committed to the principle that efforts to significantly alter State law concerning the issuance of vital records that have the potential to create legal uncertainties should be closely scrutinized and sparingly approved," the governor's veto statement said.
