Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller Testifies in Support of Constitutional Language Modernization

​​​ANNAPOLIS, MD – Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller testified today before the House Government, Labor, and Elections Committee in support of House Bill 1488, legislation that would modernize the Maryland Constitution by replacing gender-specific language with gender-neutral terminology.

House Bill 1488 would update references throughout the Maryland Constitution that currently use masculine terms such as “he,” “him,” and “men” to describe public officials and Maryland residents. The proposed constitutional amendment would replace those references with gender-neutral language such as “person,” “senator,” “delegate,” or “officer.”

“I am deeply grateful for the many amendments this body has advanced over the years and entrusted to the voters of Maryland that strengthen our Constitution so it reflects the ideals of the people it serves. House Bill 1488 continues that work,” said Lt. Governor Miller. “Because throughout our Constitution, those who hold public office are still described as ‘he,’ language that reflects a very different time in our history.”

Currently, women hold a significant number of leadership roles across Maryland government, including positions such as Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Adjutant General. However, the Maryland Constitution still refers to these offices using male pronouns.

House Bill 1488 seeks to modernize the Constitution by ensuring that references to individuals across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as within the Declaration of Rights and provisions affecting local governments, use inclusive language that accurately reflects Maryland today.

The legislation is sponsored by Delegate Dana Jones and expands upon a similar proposal introduced in the 2025 legislative session. Because it proposes a constitutional amendment, the measure would require a three-fifths vote of the General Assembly and would ultimately be submitted to Maryland voters for approval at the next general election.

Ten other U.S. states have either completely eliminated gender-specific pronouns or adopted gender neutral or combined male and female pronouns in their state constitutions. A number of others have taken up recent efforts or discussions to do so as well.

Lt. Governor Miller joined Delegate Jones and Maryland Adjutant General Major General Janeen Birckhead in emphasizing that the bill is a technical modernization effort with no fiscal impact, but one that carries meaningful symbolic importance.

If approved by the General Assembly, the amendment would appear on the ballot for voters to consider during the next statewide general election.​

To watch Lt. Governor Miller’s full testimony to the House Government, Labor, and Elections Committee, CLICK HERE.

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