Illinois legislators are considering making it easier for transgender people to change the gender designation on their birth certificates.
The law already allows the change, but only if people submit medical records showing they've had sex reassignment surgery. Democratic state Representative Greg Harris, from Chicago, says that's outdated. He wants to drop the surgery requirement.
"This change would bring the State of Illinois into compliance with several dozen other states who have done this, but more importantly this would have the same standards as the federal government."
The house committee approved the measure. It now goes before the full House. If it becomes law, Illinois would be one of 14 states to make the change.
