New Jersey lawmakers are trying to shield trans health care from out-of-state threatshttps://www.advocate.com/politics/states/nj-trans-healthcare-protection 🔗Jacob Ogles (12 May 2026)
New Jersey lawmakers considered legal protections for transgender patients and health care providers for the first time.
The state Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee voted 5-2 to advance a bill that would protect patients and providers who access or provide legally protected health care activities targeted in other states. The legislation specifically covers gender-affirming care and reproductive health care.
New Jersey Sen. Teresa Ruiz, a Democrat, sponsored the bill and said it protects patients and physicians from prosecution for obtaining care.
"This bill is to protect healthcare. Not a political debate. Not a culture war talking point. Healthcare," Ruiz said, according to the New Jersey Monitor.
Several transgender patients from across the Garden State testified about the need for protections as the Trump administration moves to curtail care for minors. "Never did I expect I would need to advocate for my own healthcare rights," testified 15-year-old Luci Amato, who identifies as non-binary.
The bill would codify protections that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy established through a 2023 executive order declaring the state a "safe haven" for people seeking gender-affirming care. Lawmakers in a growing number of states have outlawed gender-affirming care for people under 18.
