NJ Senate Passes Transgender Bill

The often-difficult and expensive process of updating identification documents has a chance of getting easier for transgender individuals in New Jersey. On Thursday, the state’s senate passed a bill that will eliminate the need to show proof of gender reassignment surgery in order to update their birth certificates. Gender reassignment surgeries are still out of reach for many, since they are often not covered by health insurance and cost thousands of dollars. The Social Security Administration, U.S. State Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs all allow updating of identification documents without surgery. The bill now moves to Republican governor Chris Christie to sign.