Senate BillS 312Civil actions and liabilityHealth personnel
Jamie Reed Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act
INTRO JAN 29· LAST ACTION JAN 29
READING
6MIN
COSPONSORS
2
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
This bill matters to voters because it directly impacts the availability and legality of medical care for minors related to gender identity. If it becomes law, it could lead to widespread changes in how pediatric gender care is provided, potentially making it much harder or impossible for minors to access puberty blockers, hormones, or surgeries, even with parental consent and medical recommendation. The threat of federal lawsuits, which can seek significant financial damages, could cause clinics to close or stop offering these services.
For individuals who underwent these procedures as minors, it creates a new pathway to seek compensation if they believe they were harmed. The retroactive nature of the bill means that actions taken years ago could become grounds for a lawsuit today. Conversely, it could be seen as federal interference in medical practice and parental rights by those who believe such care is necessary and life-saving for some youth, potentially limiting medical options for transgender and gender-diverse minors across the country.
KEY PROVISIONS
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PROVISION 01
Establishes a new federal lawsuit option (private right of action) against pediatric gender clinics, medical practitioners, hospitals, and universities for bodily injury or mental health harm caused by gender-transition procedures performed on minors.
This creates a powerful legal tool for individuals to seek damages, potentially leading to significant financial liability for healthcare providers and institutions.
PROVISION 02
Defines 'gender-transition procedures' to include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries intended to align a minor's body with a gender identity different from their biological sex, with specific exceptions for intersex conditions or immediate life-threatening medical needs.
This legally specifies which medical interventions on minors would be subject to potential lawsuits under this bill, clarifying the scope of the legislation.
PROVISION 03
Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to pediatric gender clinics, or to institutions (like hospitals or universities) affiliated with them, or for any gender-transition procedure performed on a minor.
This provision aims to cut off a potential source of funding for these clinics and procedures, impacting their ability to operate.
PROVISION 04
Allows lawsuits to be filed up to 30 years after an individual turns 18 years old, and states that the act applies retroactively to any gender-transition procedure performed before, on, or after the effective date.
The long statute of limitations and retroactive application mean that providers could be sued for procedures performed many years in the past, significantly increasing their potential legal exposure.
This bill matters to voters because it directly impacts the availability and legality of medical care for minors related to gender identity. If it becomes law, it could lead to widespread changes in how pediatric gender care is provided, potentially making it much harder or impossible for minors to access puberty blockers, hormones, or surgeries, even with parental consent and medical recommendation. The threat of federal lawsuits, which can seek significant financial damages, could cause clinics to close or stop offering these services.
For individuals who underwent these procedures as minors, it creates a new pathway to seek compensation if they believe they were harmed. The retroactive nature of the bill means that actions taken years ago could become grounds for a lawsuit today. Conversely, it could be seen as federal interference in medical practice and parental rights by those who believe such care is necessary and life-saving for some youth, potentially limiting medical options for transgender and gender-diverse minors across the country.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Establishes a new federal lawsuit option (private right of action) against pediatric gender clinics, medical practitioners, hospitals, and universities for bodily injury or mental health harm caused by gender-transition procedures performed on minors.
This creates a powerful legal tool for individuals to seek damages, potentially leading to significant financial liability for healthcare providers and institutions.
high
Defines 'gender-transition procedures' to include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries intended to align a minor's body with a gender identity different from their biological sex, with specific exceptions for intersex conditions or immediate life-threatening medical needs.
This legally specifies which medical interventions on minors would be subject to potential lawsuits under this bill, clarifying the scope of the legislation.
med
Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to pediatric gender clinics, or to institutions (like hospitals or universities) affiliated with them, or for any gender-transition procedure performed on a minor.
This provision aims to cut off a potential source of funding for these clinics and procedures, impacting their ability to operate.
high
Allows lawsuits to be filed up to 30 years after an individual turns 18 years old, and states that the act applies retroactively to any gender-transition procedure performed before, on, or after the effective date.
The long statute of limitations and retroactive application mean that providers could be sued for procedures performed many years in the past, significantly increasing their potential legal exposure.
not later than 30 years after the date on which the individual turns 18 years of age
Timeframe for an individual to bring a civil action
GLOSSARY
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Federal tort
A type of wrongdoing or harm under federal law that allows an injured person to sue for damages in federal court.
Gender-transition procedure
Medical interventions, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones (like testosterone for a biological female or estrogen for a biological male), or surgeries, intended to change a person's body to match their gender identity when it differs from their sex assigned at birth. The bill includes specific exceptions.
Minor
An individual who has not yet reached 18 years of age.
Pediatric gender clinic
A medical facility that focuses on diagnosing or treating gender discordance and gender dysphoria in minors, which can include medical interventions or referrals for gender-transition procedures.
Private right of action
A legal right that allows an individual to sue another party in court to enforce a right or seek compensation for harm, rather than having a government agency enforce the law.
Compensatory damages
Money awarded in a lawsuit to cover actual losses or injuries suffered by the plaintiff, such as medical bills or lost wages.
Punitive damages
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTS
JAN 29, 25
Introduced in Senate
INTROREFERRAL
JAN 29, 25
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Money awarded in a lawsuit that is meant to punish the defendant for particularly harmful or reckless behavior and to deter others from similar actions, in addition to compensatory damages.
Affirmative defense
A legal argument made by a defendant in a lawsuit that, if proven true, would defeat the plaintiff's claim, even if the plaintiff's allegations are also true. In this bill, it includes not knowing the person was a minor.
