The Texas Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday, March 20, voted to advance a bill that would prohibit doctors from providing transition-related healthcare — including puberty blockers and hormone therapies — to transgender kids in Texas. The committee advanced Senate Bill 14 on a 7-3 party line vote, the Texas Tribune has reported.
SB 14, which right-wing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has dubbed one of his priorities for this session, would have to make it to the floor of the Senate for a vote and then get through the Texas House before it could be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law. Considering that Abbott last year issued an executive order — since halted by Texas courts — ordering the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services to launch child abuse investigations against any parents providing their trans children with access to often-lifesaving transition-related healthcare, there is little doubt Abbott will sign the measure if legislators give him the chance.
As the Tribune notes, “the bill would ban therapies that major medical groups recommend for kids with gender dysphoria … . SB 14 would also prohibit transition-related surgeries for minors, though medical experts say such procedures are rarely, if ever, performed on children.”
SB 14 would also prohibit healthcare facilities that offer this treatments from receiving public money and would mandate that the state medical board revoke the licenses of any healthcare professionals providing these treatments to trans children.
So much for parents’ rights.
— Tammye Nash
