Legislation

Since Garden State Equality’s founding in 2004, over 230 LGBTQ civil rights laws have been enacted at the state, county, and local levels—more laws in less time than in any other state in American history.

1. HIV decriminalization law, reducing the offense of deliberately transmitting a sexually-transmitted infection, 1/18/22
2. Expanded provision of harm reduction services to provide sterile syringes and support services to people who use drugs intravenously, 1/18/22
3. Codification of marriage equality into state statutes, 1/10/22
4. State law requiring Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs to assist servicemembers who were discharged solely because they were LGBTQ with petitions to change their discharge designation, 4/19/21
5. LGBTQ Older Adults Bill of Rights, establishing certain requirements concerning rights of LGBTQ and HIV-positive residents of long-term care facilities, 3/3/21
6. State law prohibiting “gay and trans panic” defenses for murder; prevents reduction of murder charge to manslaughter committed in heat of passion under certain circumstances, 1/22/20
7. State law mandating that local boards of education adopt instructional materials reflecting the contributions of LGBTQ persons, and persons with disabilities and that curriculum be LGBTQ-inclusive, 1/31/19
8. Babs Siperstein Law. State law mandating that transgender and non-binary New Jerseyans be allowed to change the gender marker on their New Jersey birth certificates without outdated and discriminatory proof of surgery requirement; mandating third gender option on birth certificate; and removing letter from therapist in favor of self-attestation, 7/3/18
9. State law mandating that gender identity be reflected on death certificates, 7/3/18
10. State law establishing the first interagency Transgender Task Force in the country, 7/3/18
11. State law authorizing certain gestational carrier agreements, including for same gender couples, and treating same gender couples equally, 5/30/2018
12. State law mandating public institutions of higher education to allow students, faculty, and other staff to identify sexual orientation and gender identity on any forms used to collect certain demographic data, 1/8/18
13. State law mandating that the New Jersey Department of Education provide guidance to public schools about policies for transgender students, 7/21/17
14. State law mandating that health insurance companies must cover transition-related care in most plans sold in New Jersey, 7/21/17
15. State law protecting minors from attempts to change sexual orientation or gender identity, 8/19/13
16. State law funding the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights and creating an implementation task force, 3/26/12
17. State law enacting the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, 1/6/11
18. State law via executive order allowing driver licenses to reflect gender identity and expression, 2/28/09
19. State law creating paid family leave for same-sex partners, 5/2/08
20. State law expanding the hate crimes statute to include gender identity and expression, 1/13/08
21. State law establishing civil unions, 12/21/06
22. State law expanding the Law Against Discrimination to include gender identity and expression, 12/19/06
23. State law giving surviving domestic partners intestacy and funeral arrangement rights, 1/12/06
24. State law expanding health benefits for domestic partners of local government employees, 1/12/06
25. New Jersey Economic Development Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 5/5/05
26. New Jersey Economic Development Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/1/04
27. New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/9/04
28. New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/27/04
29. New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/1/04
30. New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/1/04
31. New Jersey Institute of Technology, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/1/04
32. New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/15/04
33. New Jersey Pineland Commission, domestic partnership pension benefits, 10/1/04
34. New Jersey Redevelopment Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/20/06
35. New Jersey School Boards Association Insurance Group, domestic partnership pension benefits, 31/05
36. New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/17/04
37. New Jersey Transit, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/29/05
38. New Jersey Turnpike Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/10/04
39. Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/13/04
40. Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/18/05
41. Bergen County, domestic partnership pension benefits 6/17/04
42. Bergen County, domestic partnership health benefits, 4/25/06
43. Bergen County Board of Social Services, domestic partnership health benefits, 11/24/08
44. Bergen County Board of Special Services, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/17/05
45. Bergen County Board of Special Services, domestic partnership health benefits, 5/16/06
46. Bergen County Special Services School District, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/1/09
47. Bergen County Technical School District, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/17/05
48. Bergen County Technical School District, domestic partnership health benefits, 5/16/06
49. Bergen County Utilities Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/22/05
50. Bergen Community College, domestic partnership pension benefits 4/5/06
51. Camden County, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/19/06
52. Camden County, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/19/06
53. Camden County Community College, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/22/05
54. Camden County Technical Schools, domestic partnership pension benefits, 5/17/05
55. Essex County, domestic partnership pension benefits, 3/20/06
56. Essex County, creation of county LGBTQ Advisory Board, 12/13/10
57. Essex and Union Counties Joint Meeting, domestic partnership pension benefits, 9/30/04
58. Essex and Union Counties Joint Meeting, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/15/04
59. Hudson County, domestic partnership pension benefits, 2/1/05
60. Hudson County, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/7/04
61. Hudson County Community College, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/8/06
62. Mercer County, domestic partnership pension benefits, 2/1/06
63. Mercer County, domestic partnership health benefits, 5/3/06
64. Mercer County, Vocational-Technical Schools, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/22/04
65. Mercer County Board of Social Services, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/12/06
66. Mercer County Board of Social Services, domestic partnership health benefits, 2/22/06
67. Mercer County Community College, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/1/2006
68. Mercer County Community College, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/20/06
69. Mercer County Park Commission, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/2/06
70. Middlesex County Improvement Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/11/06
71. Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/1/04
72. Monmouth County, pension benefits, 12/22/05
73. Monmouth County Mosquito Commission, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/1/06
74. Morris County Vocational-Technical School District, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/12/05
75. Ocean County, pension benefits, 1/25/06
76. Ocean County Soil Conservation District, domestic partnership pension benefits, 9/28/04
77. Ocean County Soil Conservation District, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/1/04
78. Passaic County, health benefits, 1/19/06
79. Passaic County Community College, domestic partnership pension benefits, 4/1/05
80. Passaic County Community College, domestic partnership health benefits, 4/6/05
81. Passaic County Manchester Regional High School, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/30/06
82. Passaic Valley Water Commission, domestic partnership health benefits, 5/1/05
83. Somerset County, domestic partnership pension benefits, 3/21/06
84. Union County, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/20/06
85. Union County, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/20/06
86. Allamuchy Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 12/7/05
87. Andover Regional Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/1/04
88. Asbury Park, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/12/04
89. Asbury Park Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/1/05
90. Atlantic City Convention Center Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 9/9/04
91. Atlantic City Convention Center Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/12/04
92. Atlantic County Special Services, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/1/04
93. Atlantic County Special Services, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/1/05
94. Berkeley, domestic partnership pension benefits, 2/28/06
95. Berkeley, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/2/06
96. Bayonne, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/19/05
97. Bayonne, domestic partnership pension benefits, 2/1/05
98. Bloomsbury Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/13/04
99. Bordentown Regional Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 11/2/06
100. Bridgeton, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/1/09
101. Buena Borough Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/1/09
102. Chatham Borough, domestic partnership pension benefits, 4/11/06
103. Chatham Borough, domestic partnership health benefits, 5/1/06
104. Clementon Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/1/04
105. Cranford Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/26/04
106. Dumont Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/28/06
107. East Amwell Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/10/08
108. East Brunswick Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/1/07
109. Eatontown, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/1/05
110. Englewood, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/22/07
111. Galloway Community Charter School, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/23/04
112. Great Meadows Regional School District, domestic partnership pension benefits, 5/1/07
113. Haddon Township, domestic partnership health benefits, 11/8/04
114. Haddon Township, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/14/06
115. Hamburg Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/3/05
116. Hasbrouck Heights, domestic partnership pension benefits, 5/19/05
117. Hillsdale Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/7/04
118. Hillsdale Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/7/04
119. Hillsdale, Pascack Valley Regional High School, domestic partnership pension benefits, 11/1/05
120. Hillsdale, Pascack Valley Regional High School, domestic partnership health benefits, 11/7/05
121. Hoboken, Elysian Charter School, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/9/04
122. Hoboken, Elysian Charter School, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/5/04
123. Holmdel Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/8/06
124. Hunterdon Central Regional High School, domestic partnership pension benefits, 9/26/05
125. Hunterdon Central Regional High School, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/10/05
126. Jackson, domestic partnership pension benefits, 2/6/06
127. Jackson, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/2/06
128. Jersey City, domestic partnership pension benefits, 10/19/05
129. Jersey City Fire, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/15/04
130. Jersey City, General Accounts, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/15/04
131. Jersey City Library, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/15/04
132. Jersey City Police, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/15/04
133. Jersey City, Schomburg Charter School, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/10/04
134. Learning Community Charter School, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/23/06
135. Leonia Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/30/05
136. Leonia Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/1/05
137. Linden Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits 9/26/05
138. Linwood, Mainland Regional High School District, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/1/06
139. Livingston, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/7/04
140. Livingston, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/7/04
141. Long Branch Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/22/05
142. Long Hill, domestic partnership health benefits, 12/8/05
143. Manalapan, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/14/04
144. Manalapan, domestic partnership health benefits, 4/7/05
145. Mansfield, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/15/07
146. Maplewood, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/1/04
147. Maplewood, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/1/04
148. Maywood, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/20/05
149. Midland Park Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/1/08
150. Milltown, domestic partnership pension benefits, 10/1/04
151. Milltown, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/10/05
152. Mount Holly, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/10/04
153. Monroe Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/21/04
154. Monroe Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/4/06
155. Morristown, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/1/06
156. Morristown, Unity Charter School, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/9/04
157. Morristown/Morris Joint Library, domestic partnership pension benefits, 10/1/04
158. Morristown/Morris Joint Library, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/15/04
159. Mount Laurel, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/1/05
160. Neptune, domestic partnership pension benefits, 3/1/06
161. Neptune, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/20/06
162. Newark, Discovery Charter School, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/9/04
163. Newark, Discovery Charter School, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/13/04
164. Newark, Marion P. Thomas Charter School, 12/1/08
165. Newark, creation of municipal LGBTQ Advisory Commission, 6/12/09
166. New Brunswick Parking Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/11/06
167. North Bergen Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/30/05
168. North Bergen Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/1/05
169. North Bergen Township Housing Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/15/04
170. Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 12/15/04
171. Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/1/05
172. Oceanport Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/10/05
173. Ogdensburg Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/1/04
174. Ogdensburg Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/7/04
175. Old Bridge, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/1/05
176. Old Bridge, Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/25/06
177. Old Tappan Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/12/05
178. Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/17/05
179. Paterson City Parking Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/18/06
180. Pequannock, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/25/04
181. Pine Hill Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/1/04
182. Pine Hill Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/3/05
183. Pinelands Commission, domestic partnership health benefits, 11/1/04
184. Pine Hill Borough Municipal Utilities Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/17/04
185. Piscataway Township, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/20/05
186. Plainfield, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/5/06
187. Plainsboro, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/12/05
188. Plainsboro, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/22/05
189. Princeton Borough, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/10/04
190. Princeton Borough, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/14/04
191. Princeton Township, domestic partnership pension benefits, 12/20/04
192. Rahway, domestic partnership pension benefits, 6/16/04
193. Rahway, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/1/09
194. Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, domestic partnership pension benefits, 1/1/06
195. Raritan Municipal Utilities Authority, domestic partnership pension benefits, 2/10/05
196. Raritan Valley Community College, domestic partnership health benefits, 12/1/06
197. Sea Bright, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/20/04
198. Sewell, Educational Information and Resource Center, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/1/04
199. South Brunswick, domestic partnership pension benefits, 5/10/05
200. South Brunswick, domestic partnership health benefits, 5/19/05
201. South Brunswick Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits 9/28/05
202. South Brunswick Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/18/05
203. South Hunterdon Regional Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 9/1/06
204. South Hunterdon Regional Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 11/2/06
205. South Orange-Maplewood School District, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/20/04
206. South Orange-Maplewood School District, domestic partnership health benefits, 8/1/04
207. Spring Lake and Spring Lake Heights Joint Dispatching Authority, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/25/05
208. Stanhope Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 11/23/04
209. Stone Harbor, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/10/04
210. Stratford, domestic partnership pension benefits, 9/14/04
211. Summit Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 2/16/06
212. Summit Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 2/7/06
213. Sussex County Community College, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/1/06
214. Teaneck, domestic partnership pension benefits, 4/1/05
215. Teaneck, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/6/05
216. Teaneck Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 10/6/05
217. Teaneck Community Charter School, domestic partnership health benefits, 9/13/04
218. Totowa Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 11/21/06
219. Union City Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 9/1/05
220. Upper Saddle River Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 8/1/04
221. Upper Saddle River Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 7/16/04
222. Vernon Public Schools, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/10/04
223. Vernon Public Schools, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/3/05
224. West Orange Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/20/05
225. Westfield Board of Education, domestic partnership pension benefits, 7/1/05
226. Westfield Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 6/3/05
227. Westwood Regional Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 3/84/08
228. Westville Board of Education, domestic partnership health benefits, 1/20/09