Bans use of a victim's gender identity or expression (including transgender status) as a defense, justification, or mitigating factor in criminal cases, so perpetrators of violence against transgender people are less able to reduce their legal responsibility based on the victim's identity.
A nonviolent sexual advance or the perception or belief, even if inaccurate, of the sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity of an individual may not be used as a defense to a criminal offense, to excuse or to justify the conduct of an individual who commits a criminal offense, or to mitigate the severity of a criminal offense during sentencing.
Why the model tagged it this way: The bill prohibits using nonviolent sexual advances or perceptions/beliefs about a person's sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity (explicitly defined to include transgender and gender-nonconforming identities) as a criminal defense, justification, or sentencing mitigator. This directly addresses transgender and sexual-orientation 'panic' defenses in violence cases, expanding legal recognition and protections for transgender and LGB individuals by limiting ways to excuse harm against them. No provisions address firearms, abortion, or immigration enforcement.