(a) Authorized agency staff and volunteers shall not engage in or condone discrimination or harassment against prospective foster parents, foster parents or foster children on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, or disability. Authorized agencies shall promote and maintain a safe environment, take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination and harassment against youth by other youth, promptly investigate incidents of discrimination and harassment by staff, volunteers and youth , and take reasonable and appropriate corrective or disciplinary action when such incidents occur. Certified or approved foster parents shall not engage in discrimination or harassment against foster children on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, or disability, and shall promote and maintain a safe environment.

(b) For purposes of this section, the term gender identity or expression means having or being perceived as having a gender identity, self-image, appearance, behavior or expression whether or not that gender identity, self-image, appearance, behavior or expression is different from that traditionally associated with the sex assigned to that person at birth. Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of self as male, female, no gender, or another gender, and gender expression refers to the manner in which a person expresses his or her gender through clothing, appearance, behavior, speech, and other means.