Sen. Tom Cotton and a group of fellow GOP lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would allow adults to sue medical providers who performed gender transition procedures on them as minors.
Mr. Cotton said the legislation is needed because children were often allowed to receive puberty blockers or undergo gender reassignment surgery without adequate medical preparation or review.
“Gender-transition procedures aren’t safe or appropriate for children,” said Mr. Cotton, Arkansas Republican. “Unfortunately, radical doctors in the United States perform dangerous, experimental, and even sterilizing gender-transition procedures on young kids, who cannot even provide informed consent.”
Proponents say the bill is needed because there are sufficient high-profile instances of individuals receiving transgender therapy or surgery as minors, only to regret the procedures. In most instances, those individuals have no legal recourse to pursue damages.
“Our bill would ensure justice for women like Chloe Cole, who is currently suing her former so-called medical professionals for subjecting her to irreversible and damaging gender transition surgery at a young age,” said Rep. Jim Banks, Indiana Republican who is backing the bill in the House.
Mr. Cotton and Mr. Banks introduced a similar bill last Congress, but it made little progress.
The legislation would allow individuals to sue up to 30 years after they reach the age of 18.
The bill also stipulates that federal law cannot be “construed to force medical practitioners” to offer gender transition procedures or surgeries. Furthermore, it prohibits federal tax dollars from going to states that mandate doctors and hospitals provide such care.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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