BREAKING: Texas Legislature Approves Bill Banning Transgender Treatment For Minors, Heads To Governor Greg Abbott's Desk

On Wednesday, the Texas Senate approved Senate Bill 14, which had previously been amended by the Texas House of Representatives, by a vote of 19-12, which outlaws children from receiving sex-transitioning medical treatments. Texas joins the growing list of states passing legislation banning the care for minors. The bill will now be sent to Governor Greg Abbott’s (R-TX) desk, where he is expected to sign the legislation into law.

Abbott and his legislative partners have been very open about their intentions to ban transgender treatment for minors within the state. The governor and Republican lawmakers have faced notable challenges from Democrats that are in the Texas House, which caused them to have to adopt the amended version of the bill. 

SB 14, which was authored by New Braunfels Senator Don Campbell (R), would prohibit any children that identify as transgender to receive any medical procedures that assist in changing gender. These include puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and sex-changing surgeries. 

This bill also works to require any transgender children currently receiving life-altering care to be “weaned off” in a “medically appropriate manner,” to not cause any further harm to the children’s developing bodies. The bill originally intended to abruptly stop any children receiving the care, but the upper chamber decided not to hold a conference committee to work out the difference in the bills.

“We are the Legislature — our job is to protect people,” stated Texas Sen. Bob Hall (R), according to the Texas Tribune. “We protect children against lots of things. We don’t let them smoke. We don’t let them drink. We don’t let them buy lottery cards. … And so we are doing the right thing.”

If the law is signed by Gov. Abbott, which it is largely expected to be, the ban on medical procedures would go into effect on September 1st.

Many pro-LGBTQ organizations have attempted to fight against the passing of the bill, with many Democrats in the Texas legislature resisting the piece of legislation. “We’re not going to be able to know how many children will be ‘saved,’ as it’s been called, from this lifestyle, but we will definitely be able to track what harm it may cause,” said Texas Sen. Jose Menedez (D). “It is my hope that every child affected by this bill can have a chance to grow up and see that things will get better.”

The bill provides a major win for what many in the state consider to be a common-sense law. Children are unable to make major life choices, so it would seem like a completely reasonable idea that they aren’t able to change their gender.