Bills affecting LGBTQ+ / Queer in New York — 2026 session

Requires every physician, physician assistant, specialist assistant, registered nurse and licensed practical nurse to complete course work or training regarding human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections testing and the elements of sexual health including sexual orientation and gender identity.

Suspends all unnecessary travel to states that have enacted a law that voids or repeals, or has the effect of voiding or repealing, existing state or local protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression or have enacted a law that authorizes or requires discrimination against same-sex couples or their families or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, including any law that creates an exemption to antidiscrimination laws in order to permit discrimination against same-sex couples or their families or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Prohibits peremptory challenges of prospective jurors based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

Prohibits state contracts with contractors who do not provide health insurance which covers services for transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive people.

Establishes an LGBTQ+ youth and young adult suicide prevention task force; provides for the number of members, manner of appointment and the topics to be reviewed.

Updates provisions relating to dignity for all students including curriculum and teacher training requirements designed to prevent student suicide with a focus on LGBTQ students.

Requires the board of education and the trustees or sole trustee of every school district to establish policies and procedures regarding the treatment of transgender or gender non-conforming students.

Enacts the "gender identity respect, dignity and safety act"; relates to the treatment and placement of incarcerated individuals based upon gender identity; requires that incarcerated individuals in state and local correctional facilities who have a gender identity different from their assigned sex at birth be addressed and have access to commissary items, clothing and other materials that are consistent with the person's gender identity; establishes that incarcerated individuals shall be placed in a correctional facility with persons of the gender that most closely aligns with such person's self-attested gender identity unless the person opts out of such placement.

Establishes a twenty-four hour, toll-free hotline and website for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning plus (LGBTQ+) individuals who are experiencing emotional distress, suicidal ideation, or crisis-related challenges, which shall provide immediate support, referrals, resource lists, and other information.

Requires the department of veterans' services to provide legal and/or technical support to veterans who want to change their discharged status to honorable because such person was dishonorably or administratively discharged from the armed services due to sexual orientation.

Establishes a tax credit for same-sex couples who purchased residential property in the state prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage, were prohibited from recording the deed as tenants by the entirety, and who re-record the deed to reflect a change in status from tenants in common or joint tenants with right of survivorship to tenants by the entirety; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.

Establishes an educational program related to the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

Establishes a private right of action against mental health professionals who engaged in sexual orientation change efforts, revives such actions otherwise barred by the existing statute of limitations and grants trial preference to such actions.

Provides that no state or local agency, or any agent thereof, may use any funds, facilities, property, equipment or personnel of such agency to investigate, enforce or provide assistance in the investigation or enforcement of any federal program requiring registration of individuals, or maintaining a database of individuals, on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, religion or national or ethnic origin.

Establishes a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender veterans coordinator in order to support the unique needs of, advocate for, and celebrate the service of such veterans.

Requires school districts and charter schools to establish a task force to make recommendations on model curriculum or instruction on the political, economic, and social contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual people, in an appropriate place in the curriculum of middle school and high school students.

Relates to the determination of damages in a civil action arising from personal injury or wrongful death; provides that damages shall not be reduced because of age, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital status, or status as a victim of domestic violence; provides that damages shall not be based on statistical tables unless agreed to by all parties.

Establishes a gender affirming care program in the department of health to ensure the continuity of gender affirming care services in the state.

Prohibits the use of external consumer data and information sources being used when determining insurance rates; provides that no insurer shall unfairly discriminate based on race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, or gender expression; or use any external consumer data and information sources, as well as any algorithms or predictive models that use external consumer data and information sources, in a way that unfairly discriminates based on race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, or gender expression; makes related provisions; defines terms.

Establishes the false reporting survivors act which establishes the crimes of aggravated falsely reporting an incident in the first, second, and third degrees when a person commits the crime of falsely reporting an incident in the first, second, or third degree and such person intended to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm another person because of a belief or perception regarding a person's race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or ethnicity; authorizes officers to arrest persons believed to have committed falsely reporting an incident without first obtaining a warrant; includes such falsely reporting as a hate crime; authorizes the law enforcement misconduct investigative office to receive and investigate complaints alleging falsely reporting an incident; establishes databases of law enforcement officers and persons convicted of falsely reporting; requires notifying persons of the termination of certain criminal actions or proceedings; relates to the statute of limitations for filing an action relating to falsely reporting.