Senate bill · S7451 (2025-26)

Prevents a judge from prohibiting a parent from undergoing a gender reassignment when making a determination in a child custody case

Latest action Jun 9, 2025

Provides that the judge shall not prohibit a parent from undergoing gender reassignment.

Not chosen yet

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Amends the Domestic Relations Law.

Committee

Children and Families · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Children And Families · New York State Senate, Judiciary · New York State Assembly, Judiciary · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Section 240 of the domestic relations law is amended by adding a new subdivision 6 which states that in a case involving the custody of a child, the judge shall not prohibit a parent from undergoing reassign- ment as a condition of receiving custody.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJun 9, 2025Result: passed
(52) (10) (0) (1)
Vote: Committee vote · Children And Families
Senate Children And FamiliesMay 29, 2025Result: passed
(6) (0) (0) (1)

Cosponsors

John Liu, Julia Salazar and 3 more on Agora

Democratic5

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why the sponsor says this is needed

Gender or Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are changed to that of the other sex. It is part of a treatment for gender identity disorder in transsexual and transgen- der people. In most jurisdictions, people interested in undergoing gender reassignment are required to undergo a minimum duration of psychological evaluation. It is only after one receives psychological approval that they can go ahead with the surgery. Unfortunately, cases have been brought to our attention where a judge has, in a divorce proceeding, categorically denied a person's right to pursue this medically approved procedure if they wished to get custody of a child. Rulings such as this are shortsighted and bigoted. Reports have shown that young children, relative to older people, are better able to cope with and digest events such as this. This legislation will seek to ensure that no parent's custody rights are held hostage to an unedu- cated' understanding of this issue.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Jun 9, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Jun 9, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Jun 9, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly
Jun 5, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Jun 4, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate

Show full history (2 earlier events)

May 29, 2025
1ST Report CAL.1513
1ST REPORT CAL.1513
NY Senate
Apr 16, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
NY Senate

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Nov 3, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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