New York City Law Requires Hospitals To Post Trans Patient Rights

"Local Law 126 adds a new section to the Administrative Code instructing DOHMH to design signs that describe the rights of transgender patients and to make those signs available to hospitals. The materials must make clear that people have the right to be referred to by their preferred name, title, gender and pronoun."

"The law also directs DOHMH to work with hospitals to identify services that address transgender patients' needs, including gender-affirming health care, and to publish that guidance, plus updates, on the DOHMH website and on the city's 311 portal in the designated citywide languages."

Local Law 126 became effective on March 12, 2026, mandating the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to create and distribute signage across all five boroughs' hospitals outlining transgender patients' rights. These rights include being addressed by preferred name, title, gender, and pronoun. The law also requires DOHMH to identify and compile gender-affirming and transgender-specific services available throughout the city and publish this information on both the DOHMH website and the 311 portal in multiple designated languages. DOHMH has 180 days from enactment to begin implementing the required signage and service lists.

Read at Hoodline