1.31 Gender specific and gender neutral language. - Ohio Statutes

1.31 Gender specific and gender neutral language.

(A) As used in this section:

(1) Language is “gender neutral” if it does not expressly or implicitly refer to one sex to the real or apparent exclusion of the other and expressly or implicitly refers to both sexes without distinguishing between them.

(2) Language is “gender specific” if it expressly or implicitly refers to one sex to the real or apparent exclusion of the other or expressly or implicitly refers to both sexes and distinguishes between them.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, in enacting an act that replaces gender specific language with gender neutral language, it is the intent of the general assembly not to make substantive changes in the statutory law in effect on the date of that enactment by the replacement of the gender specific language with the gender neutral language. The gender neutral language shall be construed as a restatement of, and substituted in a continuing way for, the corresponding statutory gender specific language existing on the date of enactment.

(2) In enacting an act with the stated purpose of making a substantive change in a statute by replacing gender specific language with gender neutral language, the rule of construction in division (B)(1) of this section does not apply.

(C) The rule of construction in division (B) of section 1.43 of the Revised Code declares that words of one gender include the other genders. The rules of construction contained in divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section do not affect this rule of construction with respect to statutes that contain gender specific language.

Effective Date: 09-14-1995