Assembly Passes Legislation Protecting Families and Doctors of Young People Receiving Gender-Affirming Care in New York State

Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Harry Bronson today announced that the Assembly has passed legislation that would protect parents and guardians who come to New York so their children can receive gender-affirming care, and the healthcare practitioners who provide gender-affirming care from being subjected to legal action from other states (A.6046-B, Bronson).

“Across the country, we have seen states instituting regressive and dangerous policies, including the criminalization of gender-affirming care for transgender young people,” Speaker Heastie said. “Just like we protected people from states that criminalized abortions, we will stand up for the families and doctors of transgender young people seeking gender-affirming care here in New York.”

“Across the country, states are proposing and enacting hundreds of hateful laws to punish those seeking gender-affirming care for themselves or their children, as well as those professionals who provide that care. New York will not participate in this hate. We will, instead, support and protect people to live as their authentic self. This bill will make New York a safe haven for transgender, gender non-conforming, nonbinary and intersex individuals, their families and their health care providers who are under attack,” said Assemblymember Bronson.

Recently, states across the country have passed laws to criminalize access to gender-affirming care, proposing criminal sentences for parents and doctors who provide it. Access to gender-affirming care has been shown to reduce the risk of depression, psychological distress and suicidal ideation for transgender young people.

This legislation would protect families of children receiving gender-affirming care as well as health care providers by prohibiting:

• Law enforcement from cooperating with or providing information to out-of-state agencies regarding gender-affirming care provided in New York;
• The issuance of a subpoena in connection with out-of-state proceedings related to individuals who came to New York seeking gender-affirming care;
• The arrest of individuals for performing or aiding in the provision of gender-affirming care in New York;
• The extradition of gender-affirming care providers; and
• Insurance providers from taking adverse action against health care providers for gender-affirming care.