# What This Bill Actually Does

This bill would make it a federal crime for doctors and medical providers to perform certain medical treatments on minors under age 18 related to gender identity. The law would impose criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines for anyone who knowingly provides these treatments. The bill applies when the treatment involves interstate commerce in any way—which covers most medical care in practice, since it includes using the internet, phone, mail, or even just paying with a credit card that crosses state lines.

The bill specifically targets surgeries (like chest surgery, genital surgery, and various other procedures), hormone treatments (including testosterone, estrogen, and puberty blockers), and related medical interventions. However, it includes exceptions for treating certain intersex conditions—situations where a person is born with ambiguous sex characteristics or chromosomal variations that doctors diagnose through genetic or biochemical testing. The bill also wouldn't apply to minors themselves seeking these treatments; only the medical providers would face criminal liability.

Beyond the criminal penalties, the bill would prevent Medicare from paying for these treatments for minors and would allow the government to kick doctors and hospitals out of the Medicare program if they provide them. It would also prohibit any federal funding—from any source—from being used to pay for these treatments or for health insurance plans that cover them. This means federal employee health plans, military health coverage, and other government-funded programs couldn't cover these services for minors.

The practical effect would be to eliminate access to these medical treatments for minors across the country, since the criminal penalties and Medicare exclusions would create strong incentives for medical providers to stop offering them entirely, even in states where they might otherwise be legal.