diff --git a/param_templates/MOM_input.yaml b/param_templates/MOM_input.yaml
index c1be92c1..b62bae84 100644
--- a/param_templates/MOM_input.yaml
+++ b/param_templates/MOM_input.yaml
@@ -2643,13 +2643,13 @@ Global:
             $OCN_GRID == "tx0.66v1": -3.0
             $OCN_GRID == "tx2_3v2": -3.0
             $OCN_GRID == "tx0.25v1": -3.0
-    DEFAULT_2018_ANSWERS:
+    DEFAULT_ANSWER_DATE:
         description: |
             "[Boolean] default = True
-            This sets the default value for the various _2018_ANSWERS parameters."
-        datatype: logical
-        units: Boolean
-        value: False
+            This sets the default value for the various parameters."
+        datatype: string
+        units: ymd
+        value: 99991231
     VERTEX_SHEAR:
         description: |
             "[Boolean] default = False
diff --git a/param_templates/json/MOM_input.json b/param_templates/json/MOM_input.json
index a26c65a8..6646e00f 100644
--- a/param_templates/json/MOM_input.json
+++ b/param_templates/json/MOM_input.json
@@ -2101,11 +2101,11 @@
             "$OCN_GRID == \"tx0.25v1\"": -3.0
          }
       },
-      "DEFAULT_2018_ANSWERS": {
-         "description": "\"[Boolean] default = True\nThis sets the default value for the various _2018_ANSWERS parameters.\"\n",
-         "datatype": "logical",
-         "units": "Boolean",
-         "value": false
+      "DEFAULT_ANSWER_DATE": {
+         "description": "\"[Boolean] default = True\nThis sets the default value for the various parameters.\"\n",
+         "datatype": "string",
+         "units": "ymd",
+         "value": 99991231
       },
       "VERTEX_SHEAR": {
          "description": "\"[Boolean] default = False\nIf true, do the calculations of the shear-driven mixing\nat the cell vertices (i.e., the vorticity points).\"\n",