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. [*]
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.]
