Bills affecting LGBTQ+ / Queer in New York (2026 session)

Requires Medicaid to cover gender-affirming care regardless of federal funding; prohibits discriminatory practices by health care entities including hospitals, certain professionals, and insurers; requires insurance coverage for services or treatments for gender dysphoria or gender incongruence.

Establishes a gender-affirming care access program to provide support and increase access to gender-affirming care including certain medical and surgical care.

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.

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.

Relates to expanding employee ownership assistance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and non-binary individuals.

Relates to culturally responsive lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender education standards.

Requires local social services districts distribute shelter information specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming persons on the district's website and as pamphlets at intake shelters.

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 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.

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

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.

Requires LGBT awareness curriculum or instruction.

Creates a distinctive license plate for veterans honoring Borinqueneers; defines "veteran" as a person who is a resident of this state, who served in the armed forces of the United States, and was honorably discharged from the armed forces, or has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.

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.

Provides for the creation of an ebony alert system to be activated on behalf of Black youth, including young women, men, nonbinary, boys, and girls, who are reported missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances, at risk, developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired, or who have been abducted.

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 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.

Relates to participation by LGBT, disability and veteran-owned businesses in state contracts.