New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 9 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT › Subtitle A - Governor's Office › Chapter I - Executive Orders › Part 4 - Executive Orders (Mario M. Cuomo) › Section 4.113 - Executive Order No. 113: Directing the State Committee on Geographic Names to establish a procedure to identify and eliminate problem names from all State maps. [*]

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
WHEREAS, racial, ethnic, religious and other epithets are
					 offensive, and obnoxious and an insult to the individual dignity and humanity
					 of those to whom they are applied;
WHEREAS, such derogatory names are especially offensive
					 when applied to geographic places or used in any way that might connote
					 governmental approval or acquiescence;
WHEREAS, section 174  of the Education Law authorizes the
					 Board of Regents to establish within the Education Department, a unit which is
					 charged to "determine and establish the correct historical and etymological
					 form of the place names in this State and recommend the adoption of such
					 correct forms for public use", and the Board of Regents has established the
					 State Committee on Geographic Names which is willing to work with localities
					 and other State agencies to rename places which are determined to have
					 derogatory names;
WHEREAS, there are State agencies, authorities and other
					 entities which are responsible for preparing maps of the State or portions
					 thereof;
WHEREAS, it is therefore appropriate for the State entities
					 responsible for mapping to cooperate with the State Committee on Geographic
					 Names in order to rid State maps of all derogatory place names.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, MARIO M. CUOMO, Governor of the State of
					 New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws
					 of the State of New York, do hereby direct that no map prepared by or for any
					 division of the Executive Department or any other department of the State shall
					 contain any derogatory racial, ethnic or religious name or other epithet and no
					 use shall be made of any such derogatory name, except to bring about renaming,
					 pending immediate action to replace the derogatory name in the manner
					 hereinafter provided.
Further, I direct each division within the Executive
					 Department and all other departments of the State which become aware of any
					 derogatory place name to immediately refer such information to the State
					 Committee on Geographic Names and to cease using such derogatory name pending
					 the adoption of a replacement name.
Further, I direct each division within the Executive
					 Department and all other departments of the State which have mapping
					 responsibilities to meet promptly with the State Committee on Geographic Names
					 to establish a procedure to identify and eliminate problem names from all State
					 maps. As part of such procedure, each department or division shall, in any
					 revision or review of existing maps and the development of new maps, identify
					 any derogatory place names on maps prepared by or for such division or
					 department; immediately refer any derogatory name to the State Committee on
					 Geographic Names; and remove any derogatory name prepared by or for such
					 division or department prior to the map being issued, or reissued, by such
					 division or department in any form.
Further, I direct each division within the Executive
					 Department and all other departments of the State to assist the State Committee
					 on Geographic Names in its function to insure the prompt adoption of
					 replacement names in consultation with the interested local community.
Signed: Mario M. Cuomo
Dated: October 27, 1988
Footnotes
* [Revoked by Executive Order
					 No. 5 (Eliot Spitzer),
infra.
] [Revoked by Executive Order No.
					 9 (David A. Paterson),
infra.
] [Revoked by Executive Order No.
					 2 (Andrew M. Cuomo),
infra.
]