Texas lawmaker proposes bill to ban gender transition treatment for everyone, including adults

A Texas state lawmaker recently introduced a bill that could have significant implications for the transgender community in the Lone Star State. H.B. 3399, filed by Rep. Brent Money, aims to expand the existing ban on gender transition procedures or treatment for minors to also include adults.

The proposed legislation would revise the current law by replacing the term “child” with “person,” effectively prohibiting medical procedures for the purpose of transitioning a person’s biological sex or affirming their perception of their sex if it does not align with their biological sex. This means that surgeries and puberty-blocking drugs would be off-limits for all Texans, with only a few exceptions.

Under the bill, doctors would be allowed to prescribe puberty-blocking drugs to children with parental consent in order to facilitate normal puberty. Additionally, individuals born with a verifiable genetic disorder of sex development would be permitted to undergo surgery. Those who are already on puberty-blocking medications would need to be gradually weaned off the drugs in a medically appropriate manner to minimize the risk of complications.

The introduction of this bill comes on the heels of Texas Governor Greg Abbott signing a law in 2023 that banned gender-transitioning treatment for transgender youth. The law faced legal challenges, with opponents arguing that it had negative consequences for transgender teenagers who were unable to access treatment recommended by their doctors and parents.

Despite the pushback, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the ban in a decisive 8-1 decision, with only one justice dissenting. Texas is just one of at least 25 states that have implemented laws restricting or prohibiting gender-transitioning treatment for transgender minors.

It is estimated that there are around 93,000 transgender adults in Texas, making it the state with the third-highest transgender population after California and Florida. Additionally, Texas is home to approximately 30,000 transgender individuals between the ages of 13 and 18, ranking it third behind California and New York in terms of transgender youth population.

As the debate over transgender rights continues to unfold in Texas and across the country, it remains to be seen how H.B. 3399 will impact the transgender community in the state. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.