Bill > S01049

This bill enacts the "gender identity respect, dignity and safety act," which establishes comprehensive protections for incarcerated individuals whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex at birth. The legislation requires correctional facilities to address these individuals by their preferred name and pronouns, provide access to clothing and commissary items consistent with their gender identity, and allow them to be searched by staff members aligned with their gender identity. The bill mandates that such individuals have the right to appropriate medical and mental health care, including gender-affirming treatments, and prohibits forced medical interventions. Critically, the legislation requires that these individuals be housed in facilities that match their gender identity, with only rare exceptions if there is clear evidence of a current danger of gender-based violence. The bill also protects these individuals from discriminatory placement decisions, ensures their right to confidentiality, and provides mechanisms for challenging placement decisions. Furthermore, it requires annual training for correctional personnel and mandates annual reporting on the implementation of these provisions. The goal of the legislation is to protect the dignity, safety, and rights of transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, and intersex individuals within the correctional system.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1049