Virginia lawmaker files bill to ban transgender procedures for minors

(The Center Square) – A Republican Virginia lawmaker introduced legislation for the 2023 legislative session that would ban any type of transgender procedures or drugs for minors in the commonwealth.

Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Colonial Heights, introduced the legislation this week, which will not be considered until the General Assembly meets in January. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Education and Health.

Senate Bill 791, which is titled the Establishment of the Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act, bans gender transition procedures for anyone under the age of 18. It defines gender transition procedures as any medical or surgical device or prescribed drugs that would alter or remove physical or anatomical characteristics or features typical for a person’s biological sex or instill physiological characteristics that resemble a sex different than the child’s biological sex.

The legislation notes this includes, but is not limited to, puberty blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones or genital or nongenital gender reassignment surgery designed to assist a person with a gender transition.

Per the proposed legislation, the use of public funds to facilitate the gender transition of a minor through these means would also be prohibited.

If a medical professional refers a minor for gender transition procedures, the person would be subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate licensing entity or disciplinary review board, if this legislation were to pass. A person would be able to seek compensatory damages, injunctive relief, declaratory relief or other appropriate relief if the standard would be violated. A person could bring the claim up to two years after the infraction. A minor who is subject to the drugs or procedure could seek damages up to 20 years after turning 18.

The proposed legislation also states the attorney general could take action to enforce the legislation and the bill would not deny or impair any rights the attorney general has regarding enforcement.

Chase is one of the most conservative members of the General Assembly and refuses to caucus with the Senate Republicans because of disputes with some of the caucus’s leaders. Democrats have a slim 21-19 majority in the chamber, but have stronger majorities on most committees. The Senate Committee on Education and Health has a 9-6 Democratic majority.