BILL NUMBER: S5636
SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law and the public health law, in relation
to providing an exception from professional misconduct for the perform-
ance, recommendation, or provision of any reproductive health services
or gender-affirming care by a health care practitioner
 
PURPOSE:
Provides an exception from professional misconduct for reproductive
health care services or gender-affirming care
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends section 6531-b to include gender affirming care and
bolsters protections for practitioners.
Section two amends section 230 of the public health law to include
gender affirming care.
Section three amends section 6505-d of the education law by adding a new
subdivision 2.
Section four amends section 6510 of the education law to include a new
paragraph b-1
Section five of the bill adds new section 6509-f to the education law
and section six establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Along with reproductive care, gender affirming care has come under fire
in states across the country. Bills have been introduced in some states
that would ban access to such care and, in many instances, seek redress
against health care providers who provide such care within their scope
of practice. This legislation builds upon Chapter 220 of 2022 to further
expand legal protections to professionals across the health and mental
health care continuum who provide medically-appropriate critical care
within their scope of practice to those seeking abortions as well as
those seeking gender affirming care in New York State.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S5636: 6531-b education law, 230 public health law, 230(9-c) public health law, 6505-d education law, 6510 education law, 6510(1) education law