NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7985

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 15, 2025	referred to health

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8191
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 27-FF §2790, Pub Health L

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7985

SPONSOR: GONZALEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to providing for
continuity of gender affirming care

 
PURPOSE:

Establishes a gender affirming care program within the Department of
Health to ensure access and continuity of care to gender affirming care.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Requires the Department of Health to establish a gender
affirming care program to ensure the continuity of gender affirming care
services. Funding and other resources shall be provided or identified
for providers to facilitate access to gender affirming care services for
individuals receiving or seeking gender affirming care services. DOH
shall consult with experts in the field of providing gender affirming
care to ensure that the program and expenditures associated with it are

reflective of the needs of providers and patients.

Section 2: Effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Federal Administration has taken several actions seeking to limit or
restrict individuals access to gender affirming care. First, the Trump
administration issued an Executive Order seeking to prohibit hospitals
and clinics from providing gender affirming care for those under the age
of 19. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services proposed dropping
gender affirming care as an essential health benefit for insurance plans
that are sold on the state health insurance marketplace. In addition,
future cuts or restrictions in federal funding for gender affirming care
creates further uncertainty and barriers to care for people seeking or
currently receiving necessary gender affirming care. While some of these
actions have been temporarily blocked in court, it is clear that this
federal administration is seeking to significantly curtail individuals
access to gender affirming care.

Gender affirming care is not an "optional" treatment for many people -
for many, they are essential treatments. The repercussions of discontin-
uing this care or putting more restrictions in place to access this care
would have devastating consequences.  Gender-affirming care is not just
"surgeries" but includes constant monitoring of hormone levels,
prescription drugs, mental health services, and other healthcare
services. Such care allows individuals live their authentic selves and
reduce the risk of suicide, depression, and other mental health issues.
Continued access to this care is critical for this vulnerable popu-
lation.

This bill will ensure that providers have the resources available to
continue to provide gender affirming care to those who are currently
receiving this care, or seeking it. While gender affirming care is in
the crosshairs of the Federal government and many state governments, New
York must do everything in its power to ensure that people have access

to the full range of healthcare services, including gender-affirming
care.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None, except for funds that will be appropriated by the Legislature for
the purposes of the bill.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7985
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. GONZALEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law,  in  relation  to  providing  for
   continuity of gender affirming care
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding  a  new  article
 27-FF to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 27-FF
                    CONTINUITY OF GENDER AFFIRMING CARE
 SECTION 2790. CONTINUITY OF GENDER AFFIRMING CARE.
   §  2790.  CONTINUITY  OF  GENDER  AFFIRMING  CARE.  1. AS USED IN THIS
 SECTION, "GENDER AFFIRMING CARE" MEANS CARE  AND  SERVICES  ENCOMPASSING
 THE  RANGE  OF  SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, MEDICAL, AND SURGICAL
 INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING HORMONAL  TREATMENTS  AND  PRESCRIPTION  DRUGS,
 DESIGNED  TO  SUPPORT AND AFFIRM AN INDIVIDUAL'S GENDER IDENTITY WHEN IT
 IS INCONGRUENT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL'S SEX  ASSIGNED  AT  BIRTH,  PROVIDED
 THAT SURGICAL INTERVENTIONS ON MINORS WITH VARIATIONS IN THEIR SEX CHAR-
 ACTERISTICS  THAT ARE NOT SOUGHT AND INITIATED BY THE INDIVIDUAL PATIENT
 ARE NOT GENDER AFFIRMING CARE.
   2. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE DEPARTMENT  A  GENDER  AFFIRMING
 CARE  PROGRAM TO ENSURE THE CONTINUITY OF GENDER AFFIRMING CARE SERVICES
 IN THE STATE. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL IDENTIFY  AND/OR  PROVIDE  FUNDING  AND
 OTHER  RESOURCES  TO PROVIDERS THAT MEET PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS TO FACILI-
 TATE ACCESS TO GENDER AFFIRMING CARE SERVICES FOR  INDIVIDUALS  WHO  ARE
 ELIGIBLE FOR GENDER AFFIRMING CARE SERVICES.
   3. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROMULGATE ALL NECESSARY RULES AND REGULATIONS
 TO  IMPLEMENT  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SECTION, INCLUDING REGULATIONS
 ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL  CONSULT
 WITH  EXPERTS  IN THE FIELD OF PROVIDING GENDER AFFIRMING CARE TO ENSURE
 THAT THE PROGRAM AND EXPENDITURES TO PROVIDERS  ARE  REFLECTIVE  OF  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11894-01-5

 S. 7985                             2
 
 NEEDS  OF  PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS RECEIVING AND SEEKING GENDER AFFIRMING
 CARE.
   4.  FUNDING  USED  TO SUPPORT GENDER AFFIRMING CARE SERVICES UNDER THE
 PROGRAM SHALL BE PURSUANT TO FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY THE  LEGISLATURE  FOR
 SUCH  PURPOSES AND SHALL BE, AT A MINIMUM, EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT APPROPRI-
 ATED FOR SUCH FUNDS APPROPRIATED BEFORE APRIL FIRST, TWO THOUSAND  TWEN-
 TY-FIVE  FOR  SIMILAR  GENDER-AFFIRMING  CARE SERVICES. SUCH FUNDS SHALL
 INCREASE EACH YEAR BY THE SAME RATE AS THE  CONSUMER  PRICE  INDEX.  THE
 DEPARTMENT  MAY  USE  A  PORTION  OF  SUCH FUNDING FOR ADMINISTERING THE
 PROGRAM.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S7985

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Actions

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Kristen Gonzalez

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Actions

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7985 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments