A pair of high-profile bills that would make it a felony to conduct transgender surgeries or recommend puberty blockers for Oklahoma minors were approved by the state Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday, days after transgender advocates protested inside the state Capitol.
One of the measures, known as SB 613, states that “a health care provider shall not provide gender transition procedures to any child.” The bill defines a child as anyone younger than 18.
Physicians who violate SB 613 would face up to 10 years in prison and would be subject to a $100,000 fine. Other consequences include revoking medical licenses for doctors along with liability to lawsuits in civil court by former patients and their families or guardians. Additionally, former child patients would have a cause of action until they are 45 years old.
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“We’re talking about irreversible, medical transitions in children under the age of 18, and we in this state believe that we need to hit the pause button on this and allow these children to mature to make use of any other treatment allowed under this bill, including behavioral and mental-health treatment and medication for depression and anxiety, because quite often in these situations those could be at the root of the issue,” said state Sen. Julie Daniels (R), who sponsored the legislation.
Daniels’s statement comes just one day after state Sen. David Bullard (R) told the Washington Examiner he would be amending his bill known as SB 129, which shared similar measures as Daniels’s legislation, except Bullard previously wanted to ban transgender procedures for anyone under the age of 26.
Bullard’s amended bill stripped away much of its previous provisions and now states, “Public funds shall not be directly or indirectly used, granted, paid, or distributed to any entity, organization, or individual that provides gender transition procedures.”
Still, several Democratic state lawmakers criticized the measures as attempts to block parents and guardians from making medical decisions for their children.
“We are interfering with a parent’s right to make medical decisions for their child,” said state Sen. Kay Floyd (D).
Freedom Oklahoma, a group defending transgender causes, lambasted SB 613 and around 15 different versions of transgender healthcare bans up for consideration in the state legislature as “extreme in their cruelty and capacity to do harm.”
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Over 100 protesters came to the state Capitol on Monday to protest peacefully against Republican-backed transgender legislation, just days after Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) backed such legislation at his state of the state address.
“We must protect our most vulnerable: our children,” Stitt said. “After all, minors can’t vote, can’t purchase alcohol, can’t purchase cigarettes. We shouldn’t allow a minor to get permanent, gender-altering surgery in Oklahoma. That’s why I am calling for the legislature to send me a bill that bans all gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors in the state of Oklahoma.”
