The bill states that exemptions may apply to individuals who medically require treatments
The House of Representatives voted on Dec. 17 to pass a bill that would criminalize transgender-related treatments for minors, including surgical procedures and puberty blockers.
The bill, called the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” and sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), was approved in a 216–211 vote and will now advance to the Senate.
Three Democratic lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, and four Republicans opposed it, according to Greene, who hailed it a “win for children all over America.”
“This puts a stop to the radical left’s assault on kids! Children are NOT experiments. No more drugs. No more surgeries. No more permanent harm. We need to let kids grow up without manipulation from adults to make life-altering decisions,” Greene stated on X before the vote.
The proposed legislation prohibits transgender-related treatments—including puberty blockers, hormonal treatments, and surgical procedures—for individuals under the age of 18. Those who violate the law could face fines or up to 10 years in prison, or both.
The bill states that exemptions may apply to individuals who medically require treatments, such as those with “precocious puberty, to the extent such genital or bodily mutilation or chemical castration is for the purpose of normalizing puberty.”
In a statement, Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.) praised the House’s passage of the bill, saying the “common-sense legislation” was meant to protect the nation’s future generations.
“As a father of two young boys, I will not stand by while radical woke policies push children into permanent, life-altering medical decisions they can never undo,” Patronis stated. “Protecting our children isn’t a choice—it’s our moral duty.”
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who chairs the Congressional Equality Caucus, opposed the bill, calling it “the most extreme anti-transgender legislation to ever pass through” the House.
“If this bill becomes law, doctors, pharmacists, and—in some circumstances—the parents of young trans people, would face time in prison for choosing to prioritize their child’s health,” he said in a statement.
“This bill is beyond cruel, and its passage will forever be a stain on the institution of the United States Congress.”
Before the vote, Greene stated that Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced an amendment that would “gut the commerce clause” of her bill. She said that while his amendment would cut federal funding from transgender-related treatment providers, her commerce clause criminalizes such treatments for children.
Roy stated on Dec. 17 that he will not offer the amendment “to avoid any confusion about how united Republicans are in protecting children from these grotesque procedures.”
Greene is set to resign from Congress on Jan. 5, 2026.
