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A bill to protect children from medical malpractice in the form of gender-transition procedures.

1/24/2025, 11:56 AM

Summary of Bill S 209

Bill 119 s 209, also known as the Protecting Children from Medical Malpractice Act, aims to prevent children from undergoing gender-transition procedures that may be deemed harmful or unnecessary. The bill specifically targets medical professionals who perform such procedures on minors, seeking to hold them accountable for any malpractice that may occur.

The bill outlines that any medical professional who provides gender-transition procedures to individuals under the age of 18 could face legal consequences, including the loss of their medical license. It also emphasizes the importance of informed consent, stating that minors must fully understand the risks and potential consequences of such procedures before they can be performed.

Supporters of the bill argue that children are not capable of fully understanding the long-term implications of gender-transition procedures and that it is the responsibility of medical professionals to prioritize the well-being of their young patients. They believe that this legislation will help protect vulnerable children from potentially harmful medical interventions. Opponents of the bill, however, argue that it infringes on the rights of transgender individuals to access necessary medical care. They argue that gender dysphoria is a legitimate medical condition that can be alleviated through appropriate treatment, including gender-transition procedures. They believe that this bill could prevent transgender youth from receiving the care they need to live authentically. Overall, Bill 119 s 209 is a controversial piece of legislation that raises important questions about the intersection of medical ethics, parental rights, and the well-being of transgender youth. It remains to be seen how this bill will be received by Congress and the public at large.

Congressional Summary of S 209

Protecting Minors from Medical Malpractice Act of 2025

This bill makes a medical practitioner who performs a gender-transition procedure on an individual who is less than 18 years of age liable for any physical, psychological, emotional, or physiological harms from the procedure for 30 years after the individual turns 18.

Additionally, if a state requires medical practitioners to perform gender-transition procedures, that state shall be ineligible for federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Under the bill, gender-transition procedures generally include certain surgeries or hormone therapies that change the body of an individual to correspond to a sex that is discordant with the individual's biological sex. They exclude, however, interventions to treat (1) individuals who either have ambiguous external biological sex characteristics or lack a normal sex chromosome structure, sex steroid hormone production, or sex steroid hormone action; (2) infections, injuries, diseases, or disorders caused by a gender-transition procedure; or (3) a physical disorder, injury, or illness that places an individual in imminent danger of death or impairment of a major bodily function.

Current Status of Bill S 209

Bill S 209 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since January 23, 2025. Bill S 209 was introduced during Congress 119 and was introduced to the Senate on January 23, 2025.  Bill S 209's most recent activity was Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. as of January 23, 2025

Bipartisan Support of Bill S 209

Total Number of Sponsors
1
Democrat Sponsors
0
Republican Sponsors
1
Unaffiliated Sponsors
0
Total Number of Cosponsors
0
Democrat Cosponsors
0
Republican Cosponsors
0
Unaffiliated Cosponsors
0

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill S 209

Primary Policy Focus

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