Weekly Update - LGBTQ+ Legislation Today

March 23, 2022

This week anticipates movement on healthcare legislation, athlete legislation, curriculum, and pronouns legislation.

 

Here’s the latest in legislation across the nation.

Upcoming Hearings:

22 March

  • AZ HB2161 (parental rights) - Senate Ed @ 14:00 UMST
  • TN HB0800 (curriculum/don’t say gay) - House Finance @ 15:00 CST
  • TN HB2633 (misgendering) - House K-12 Subcmte @ 16:30 CST

23 March

  • AZ SB1138 (healthcare ban) - House Jud @ 8:00 UMST
  • TN SB2696 (healthcare ban) - Senate Health @ 15:00 CST

24 March

  • AZ HB2033 (repeal fines for JJ) - 9:00 UMST @ Senate Jud

Here are Some Important Bills to Watch This Week: 

CA AB2541 would amend Sections 56836.39 and 56836.40 of the Education Code to allocate funding for D/deaf and Hard of Hearing children. Increasing accessibility and funding for disability would allow progress in California toward education equality. State Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva introduced this bill. 

MN HF4398 would include provisions for supervision of police killings and needle exchanges. This omnibus bill has multiple medical clauses and provisions for a law enforcement review board and SSPs. It was introduced by Rep. Tina Liebling.

AZ SB1210 would remove law enforcement from mental health crises. It crossed over on March 15.

MA S1566 would promote rehabilitation including guaranteed health, treatment, and safety for incarcerated LGBTQI+ People. This bill just crossed over on March 17.

AK HB38 is a bill that was introduced recently. It would address missing and murdered Indigenous women. 

PA HB2424 would establish the Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Program and the Compassionate Name Change Assistance Grant Fund. It was introduced on March 16.

CT SB00448 would ensure that a sufficient number of licensed mental

health care providers, including at least four licensed mental health care providers with experience in substance use disorder diagnosis and treatment, are placed at each correctional institution under its jurisdiction to provide mental health care services to inmates. It was introduced on March 21.

MN HF4282 would require school-sponsored sports teams required to be designated by biological sex. SC S0531 is a similar bill, titled "save Women's Sports Act"; this bill would amend Article 5, Chapter 1, Title 59 Of The 1976 Code, to provide that public and private middle school-level and high school-level teams and sports must be designated based on biological sex.

Every child deserves to be able to study hard, make friends, and participate in activities that keep them smart and healthy. Equality Federation believes it is possible to both celebrate girls’ sports and protect transgender youth from discrimination, helping ensure that all young people can grow and reach their full potential from the lessons and opportunities that sports afford.

To see a complete list of legislation we are tracking, head to our State Legislation Tracker, which monitors nationwide important state legislation affecting LGBTQ+ Americans.

More You might like

Transphobia is a Waste of Money

Investing in furthering transphobic laws is a waste of precious resources, resources that come from our hard work. There are so many other things to invest in instead. 

April 23, 2023
Equality Federation Leader Speaks Out on Trans Youth Participation in Sports

The Biden administration has issued new proposed regulations under Title IX, the federal civil rights law, stating that schools cannot categorically ban transgender students from joining athletic teams consistent with their gender identity.‍The regulations are a response to a coordinated nationwide effort to erase trans people from public life, including 64 bills seeking to bar transgender students athletes from participating in school sports. Since 2021, 20 states have banned trans student athletes from participating in school sports.‍Equality Federation Executive Director Fran Hutchins had the following comment on the proposed regulations:

April 23, 2023
LGBTQ+ Communities Fight Back Against Coordinated Nationwide Assault

LGBTQ+ Communities Fight Back Against Coordinated Nationwide Assault State legislators have passed 28, proposed 460 anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills‍ In 2023, state lawmakers have introduced 460 bills attacking LGBTQ+ people, with 356 bills specifically targeting transgender people. Recent reports indicate that the record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills result from a coordinated, nationwide effort by far-right politicians with ties to extremist groups.‍So far in 2023, states have enacted 28 anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills, including legislation or executive action banning or further restricting gender-affirming health care for adults or children in twelve states:, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee, Idaho, and Arkansas. In 2022, Arizona and Alabama passed similar laws banning health care. Advocates expect as many as twenty states will ban gender-affirming health care this year. 

April 23, 2023
A young man looking up, smilingA young man smiling straight at the camera
Confident young woman standing with crossed arms.

Want To Make A Difference? Support Our Work

With your support, we'll be able to continue our work to build the leaders of today and tomorrow, strengthen state-based LGBTQ+ organizations, and make critical progress on the issues that matter most—like protecting transgender people, ending HIV criminalization and ensuring access to care, and banning conversion therapy across the country.