Assembly Member Seawright (D-Manhattan) announced that her resolution calling on the United States Congress to pass the Equal Rights Amendment has passed the Assembly with bipartisan support.

The Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that would expressly prohibit discrimination against women on the basis of sex. The Constitution does not guarantee equal rights for women.

“I made a promise to my friends and neighbors in the 76th district, as well as to all women, that I would fight tirelessly for women’s equality. This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. How can a document written to protect American citizens be a safeguard when there is no language in place to prevent discrimination against half the population? Equality between women and men is a fundamental human right that should be guaranteed in the Constitution,” Seawright said.

The ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and states were given ten years to ratify the amendment. However, according to Article V of the Constitution, a deadline is not required. As of 1982, 35 states had ratified the amendment — just three states short of the number needed to put the ERA into the Constitution. In March 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to ratify the ERA, which leaves only two states to go.

The ERA has been reintroduced in Congress every session and has not been voted on. By passing the Equal Rights Amendment Resolution, New York State is calling on Congress to act.