GSBA has worked closely with organizations throughout the state to advise our lawmakers on essential protections for our LGBTQ+ community, especially young people in schools. Below is a list of legislation that we are supporting that intersects with the LGBTQ+ community. Unfortunately, some opponents have spread disinformation online. If you would like to get involved, please email your representatives in support of these bills. Q Law created a fantastic template that is ready to send, but we also encourage you to send your personal story to your local representatives.

Education:

✅ SB 5181: Amending the parents rights initiative to bring it into alignment with current law (Amends I-2081)

Last year, lawmakers passed I-2081, an initiative that created a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that undermines trans students privacy by allowing parents to opt students out of any education, assignments, or topics related to either sexuality or Critical Race Theory.

This bill amends I-2081 to bring it into alignment with existing law. It strengthens students’ rights’ to privacy by reaffirming that students can speak with counselors and teachers in confidence, so that information is not disclosed to parents that the student does not consent to. It also reinforces the existing federal rights of parents, reserving their rights under the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

✅HB 1296: Promoting a Safe and Supportive Public Education System (The Safety Act)

Also known as the Safety Act, this bill also amends I-2081 by strengthening students’ rights to privacy, extending protections for trans youth, and adding a new statement of students rights.

This bill specifically addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ students by requiring schools create policies that prohibit harassment, intimidation, and bullying of trans and gender expansive students. It also strengthens students’ rights to privacy by allowing medical and counseling records to be kept private, and adds a new statement of student rights, which names that students are entitled to the rights outlined in the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence, including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, etc.

Health Care:

✅HB 1971: increasing access to prescription hormone therapy

This bill aims to increase access to hormone therapy by requiring health plans that provide hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to provide reimbursement for a 12-month refill of HRT obtainable at one time by an enrollee

This helps transgender people prepare for potential disruption to HRT by allowing them to stock up on a years’ worth of supply

✅SB 5632: Protecting the confidentiality of records and information that may be relevant to another state’s enforcement of its laws

This bill updates our current 2023 Shield Law provisions to ensure that our health care providers are resourced sufficiently to ward off enforcement of other state’s laws that aim to undermine access to gender affirming and reproductive health services. It prohibits state or local agencies and businesses from cooperating with or providing information to other states for the purpose of enforcing anti-LGBTQ+ laws.