Bill
SJR 73
Designates November as Transgender Awareness Month to raise awareness and encourage official proclamations and observances; a symbolic designation with no legal or funding changes.
Status snapshot
- Bill type: Joint resolution (symbolic/commemorative)
- Official title (introduced version): Designates November of each year as “Transgender Awareness Month.”
- Introduced: (introduced version) Feb 8, 2024 / (file metadata) Mar 12, 2025
- Committee referral: Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens (per initial filing)
- Companions: HJR 157, AJR 113
- Note on documents provided: the enrolled text appended to the materials is a different SJR 73 (an Alabama resolution recognizing Jackie Robinson Day, Apr 15, 2025). The introduced version in your packet is a New Jersey joint resolution designating Transgender Awareness Month. The mixed materials suggest a cross-document or clerical conflation; confirm the official state legislative record for final status.
Purpose and intent
- To designate the month of November each year as “Transgender Awareness Month” in the state (New Jersey language in the introduced text).
- To increase public awareness and understanding of prejudice, discrimination, and violence faced by transgender people, and to recognize their contributions, resilience, and strength.
- To request that the Governor annually issue a proclamation encouraging public officials and citizens to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities.
Key provisions
- Formal designation: November each year is declared “Transgender Awareness Month.”
- Governor’s proclamation: The Governor is respectfully requested to annually issue a proclamation calling on public officials and citizens to observe the month with activities and programs.
- Immediate effect: The resolution states it takes effect immediately (typical for commemorative joint resolutions).
- No regulatory or funding provisions: The resolution is declaratory and ceremonial; it does not create legal rights, change statutes, authorize expenditures, or direct agencies to adopt rules.
Findings and supporting statements included in the introduced text
- Cites an estimate of 1.4 million U.S. adults identifying as transgender (noting this is higher than earlier estimates).
- References the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey and summarizes harms reported there (family violence, homelessness, negative health-care experiences, high rates of mistreatment in K–12 and higher education, employment discrimination, and elevated rates of psychological distress and suicide attempts).
- Notes recent years’ reported killings of transgender people (counts for 2020–2023 cited from Human Rights Campaign).
- Observes a rise in state-level legislation targeting transgender people and youth and references New Jersey’s prior recognition of Transgender Awareness Week / Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Who or what would be affected
- Direct legal impact: None — the resolution is symbolic and does not alter law or government programs.
- Practical/communicative impact: public bodies, schools, community organizations, and advocacy groups may use the designation to plan awareness events, trainings, remembrance activities, and outreach in November each year.
- Beneficiaries: transgender individuals and communities to the extent the designation increases visibility, public education, and institutional attention.
Potential impact and limitations
- Likely effects: increased public visibility, encouragement for educational and commemorative events, and an official annual prompt for proclamations and programming.
- Limitations: no enforcement mechanism, no funding, and no change to civil-rights or health-care law. Implementation and impact depend on voluntary action by the Governor, state agencies, local governments, schools, and community organizations.
Procedural note / recommended verification
- The provided file contains conflicting texts (a New Jersey-style Transgender Awareness Month joint resolution and an enrolled Alabama SJR recognizing Jackie Robinson Day). Before relying on enactment status, consult the official legislative website or the secretary/clerk’s office for the relevant state to confirm the current text and final disposition of SJR 73.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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