Bill calls for gov't to use 'mother' and 'father' instead of Parent 1 and 2

Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) introduced a new bill this week that would require federal agencies to use the words "mother" and "father" instead of "Parent 1" and "Parent 2."

“Referring to parents as 'Parent 1' or 'Parent 2' on official government documentation is a bureaucratic attempt to redefine traditional parent roles," Forbes said in a release on his House website. "These subtle, but nonetheless significant, changes undermine the traditional American family relationships that have served as the bedrock of our nation since its inception."

Forbes's bill is in response to the State Department's move late last year to change passport forms, which were redesigned to scrap the terms "mother" and "father" for "Parent 1" and "Parent 2."

"These improvements are being made to provide a gender neutral description of a child’s parents and in recognition of different types of families," according to a Dec. 22, 2010, press release.

Gay-rights groups have hailed the State Department's new policy, which went into effect Jan. 3.

The Forbes legislation has been to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is headed by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). 

A Forbes spokesman said the Virginia lawmaker has not yet talked to Issa about the bill.

—This post was updated at 2:22 p.m.