Bill would let patients sue over youth gender-transition care for decades

What does this do?

S 312 would create a federal legal pathway letting people sue clinics, hospitals, universities, or medical providers over puberty blockers, hormone treatments, or gender-related surgery they received as minors, if that care caused physical or mental harm. Lawsuits could be filed up to 30 years after turning 18 and could seek compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. It also cuts federal funding to clinics providing such care to minors and to affiliated hospitals or universities, and applies retroactively.

Who does it affect?

Transgender minors and their families, pediatric gender clinics, and medical providers, hospitals, and universities connected to such care.

Why does it matter?

The law would expose clinics and providers to lawsuits and lost federal funding, including for care given before the bill's passage, unless narrow exceptions like emergencies or intersex-related treatment apply.

What does it cost, and who pays?

The bill would cut off federal funding to any clinic providing these treatments to minors, and to any connected hospital or university.

Where does it stand?