Senate Bill S6422

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6422

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN-SIGAL
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law and the public health law, in relation
to prescription labels for mifepristone, misoprostol, gonadotropin-re-
leasing hormone agonists, pubertal suppressants, anabolic steroids,
alpha reductase inhibitors, progestins, or drug classes for hormone
replacement therapy for treatment of gender dysphoria

 
PURPOSE:

To allow the prescription label for gonadotropin-releasing hormone agon-
ists, pubertal suppressants, anabolic steroids, alpha reductase inhibi-
tors, progestins, or drug classes for hormone replacement therapy for
treatment of gender dysphoria to include the name of a health care prac-
tice instead of the name of the prescribing or dispensing practitioner.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 would amend paragraph b-1 of subdivision 1 of section 6807 of
              

the education law to allow dispensing practitioners to print the name or
address of their practice, rather than their own name, on the
prescription label for gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, pubertal
suppressants, anabolic steroids, alpha reductase inhibitors, progestins,
or drug classes for hormone replacement therapy for treatment of gender
dysphoria.

Section 2 would amend subdivision 1-a of section 6810 of the education
law to allow prescribers to request that the name of their practice,
rather than their own name, be printed on the prescription label for on
the prescription label to print the name of their practice, rather than
their own name, on the prescription label for gonadotropin-releasing
hormone agonists, pubertal suppressants, anabolic steroids, alpha reduc-
tase inhibitors, progestins, or drug classes for hormone replacement
therapy for treatment of gender dysphoria.

Section 3 would would add a new section 280-d to the public health law
to require a healthcare prescriber to notify their patient if they have
included or requested to include the name or address of their practice,
rather than their own name, on the prescription label for mifepristone,
misoprostol, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, pubertal suppres-
sants, anabolic steroids, alpha reductase inhibitors, progestins, or
drug classes for hormone replacement therapy for treatment of gender
dysphoria.

Section 4 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Transgender and gender non-conforming individuals are under attack in
the US, with many states and even the federal government moving to
restrict gender affirming care for gender non-conforming youth across
the country. An executive order recently put into effect rescinds
protections for gender affirming care, including urging the Department
of Justice to investigate medications prescribed and to prosecute
providers, claiming gender affirming care is illegal under laws that
prohibit "female genital mutilation."
On the state level, the situation is still grim. 26 states have some
form of ban on gender affirming care for those under 18. 39.4% or
118,300 trans youth live in a state that bans gender affirming care.
Additional states have considered banning gender affirming care for
people up to 26 years old, and many states do not allow public funds,
such as medicare, to be spent on gender affirming care.

Gender affirming care has a life changing effect on the individuals.
Studies have shown that youth (13-20) who have access to hormone
replacement drugs or puberty blockers have 60% lower rates of moderate
to severe depression and 73% lower rates of self-harm or suicidal ideol-
ogy than those who did not receive these medications.  These medications
are necessary for the countless gender non-conforming individuals who
are struggling in the national mental health crisis, and due to past
legislation passed in New York we can help these individuals who need it
most.

In 2023, New York passed a telehealth shield law (Chapter 138 of the
laws of 2023) to provide broad protection to doctors based in New York
serving patients in those states via telehealth. These protections
include shielding New York health care practitioners against states that
may try to impose criminal sanctions upon them and protection from
professional disciplinary action or adverse action from medical malprac-
tice insurers. Thanks to New York's shield law, providers based in New
York are able to help patients based in hostile states each month, help-
ing gender non-conforming individuals who may not otherwise be able to
access care.

This bill builds on New York's shield law, by providing further
protection to doctors prescribing medications for the treatment of
gender dysphoria to patients in hostile states. Modeled after a law
recently enacted in New York regarding mifepristone and misoprostol,
(Chapter 7 of the Laws of New York, 2025) this bill would allow prescri-
bers to request that the dispensing pharmacy include the name of their
practice, rather than their name, on the prescription label for gonado-
tropin-releasing hormone agonists, pubertal suppressants, anabolic ster-
oids, alpha reductase inhibitors, progestins, or drug classes for
hormone replacement therapy for treatment of gender dysphoria. Likewise,
dispensing practitioners would be allowed to use the name of their
healthcare practice instead of their own name on the label.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.