To protect children from medical malpractice in the form of gender-transition procedures.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates a federal right for individuals to sue medical practitioners who performed gender-transition procedures on them when they were minors (under 18). It gives plaintiffs up to 30 years after turning 18 to file suit, and protects healthcare providers who refuse to perform such procedures from being penalized.
Who Benefits and How
Individuals who received gender-transition procedures as minors gain a long window (until age 48) to bring civil lawsuits seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees against the medical practitioners who treated them. Healthcare providers who decline to perform gender-transition procedures are protected from federal mandates requiring them to do so, preserving their ability to opt out based on conscience or medical judgment.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Medical practitioners who perform gender-transition procedures on minors face potential liability for up to 30 years after each patient turns 18, creating significant long-term legal exposure. States that require medical practitioners to perform gender-transition procedures would lose eligibility for all federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services, creating a strong financial incentive to repeal any such mandates.
Key Provisions
- Creates a private right of action allowing individuals to sue for damages if they received gender-transition procedures (puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries) as minors
- Sets a 30-year statute of limitations beginning when the individual turns 18
- Prohibits any federal law from requiring medical practitioners to perform gender-transition procedures
- Cuts off HHS federal funding to any state that mandates medical practitioners perform these procedures
- Excludes from the definition of "gender-transition procedure" treatments for individuals with ambiguous biological sex characteristics or procedures to address immediate danger to life
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill aims to protect minors from medical malpractice related to gender-transition procedures by establishing a private right of action for individuals who undergo such procedures before the age of 18. It also preserves freedom of conscience and medical judgment for medical providers, prohibits federal funding for states that mandate these procedures, and defines key terms.
Key Policy Areas
Healthcare, Law
Primary Purpose
The bill aims to protect minors from medical malpractice related to gender-transition procedures by establishing a private right of action for individuals who undergo such procedures before the age of 18. It also preserves freedom of conscience and medical judgment for medical providers, prohibits federal funding for states that mandate these procedures, and defines key terms.
Policy Domains
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Cotton (for himself, Mr. Banks, Mr. Sheehy, and Mr. …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Medical practitioners, Medical practitioners performing gender-transition procedures on minors
States that mandate gender-transition procedures
Individuals who underwent gender-transition procedures before the age of 18
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
- "medical_practitioner"
- → Licensed healthcare professionals
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The genetic classification of an individual as male or female, based on sex chromosomes, hormones, and genitalia present at birth.
The right for individuals to bring a civil lawsuit against medical practitioners who perform gender-transition procedures on minors, seeking various forms of relief including damages and attorney's fees.
A person licensed or authorized by a state to administer healthcare in their professional capacity.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology